The Ampersand Manifesto
On The Ampersand Manifesto, host Jessica Wan interviews people who have built thriving careers in two or more completely different worlds, from medicine & music to technology & art to science & poetry.
Through candid conversations, we explore what it takes to navigate multiple callings, find the connection points between them, and redefine success on our own terms. Together, we’re co-creating The Ampersand Manifesto – principles for leading a bold, multi-passionate life.
Recent Episodes
18
Nov. 4, 2026
From Living Room to Movement: The Story of the Ampersand Summit
One month after the 2026 Ampersand Summit at Wyldflowr Arts in Oakland, Jessica reflects on how the event evolved from an intimate living-room gathering into a multi-city community. This episode dives into the origin of the Ampersand community – from the first guests in Season 1 meeting up in real life, to a sold-out ticketed mini-retreat, reaching Ampersands across geographies. Plus, a look at what’s next for The Ampersand Cohort in New York, the SF Bay Area, and beyond. Want to be there next
17
Oct. 28, 2026
Apoorvaa Deshpande: Building PolyPaths through Tech, Music, and Motherhood
Jessica talks with Apoorvaa Deshpande, a founder, musician, and Tech Lead for AI privacy engineering at Google. Apoorvaa holds a PhD in computer science from Brown University. She is a senior musician at IndianRaga who's been featured in music productions that have garnered millions of views, and she has been invited to perform her curated concerts internationally. She is also a curious mom to two boys and an avid explorer of new cafes. Apoorvaa is the founder of PolyPaths, with a mission to h
16
Oct. 21, 2026
Yue Deng-Wu: Composing a Career Across Law, AI Products, and Music
Jessica talks with Yue Deng-Wu, a lawyer, founder, and musician. She works as an attorney at Greenwald Doherty, a boutique employment law firm, where she works on the firm’s AI strategy and implementation. Yue is an ex-big law lawyer with founder and engineering experience. She's built multiple AI products, including Kaleida, a thought partner for navigating career decisions, and Spacenotes, an online music learning product. A lifelong musician, Yue studied classical piano and cello and is a s
15
Oct. 14, 2026
Felipe Lannes Gonçalves: Finding Ruta through Merging Worlds
Jessica talks with Felipe Lannes Gonçalves, a Brazilian psychologist, entrepreneur, writer, and long-distance cyclist. He is the founder of Kaiora, a consultancy that helps businesses grow through culture and method, and has worked with professionals from over 200 organizations throughout Brazil and Europe. He is also an MBA professor, columnist, and the author of RUTA, a book that brings together poetry, photography, and travel, musing on reflections on what it means to live fully. Having cyc
14
Oct. 7, 2026
Laura Rowley: From Wall Street to a Debut Fiction Novel and Redesigning the Book Industry
Jessica talks with Laura Rowley, Author & Content Strategist. Laura is the author of seven non-fiction books and a new novel, The Glassmaker’s Secret. She is Head of Content for a Wall Street fintech firm with 4,000 professionals in 28 global offices. An award-winning journalist, she's held editorial and executive roles at CNN, People Inc., The Huffington Post and Yahoo!Finance, and founded her own content strategy firm. Laura's writing has been featured in The New York Times, Gannett, Parents
13
Sept. 30, 2026
Hugo Pérez: Sparked and the Art of Rebellious Leadership
Jessica talks with Hugo Pérez, an Emmy-winning storyteller, strategist, and founder of Local Boy Co., a creative consultancy and studio helping organizations find their message, sharpen it, and make it matter. A full-stack marketer with more than two decades of experience, he has led transformative work across advertising, higher education, startups, nonprofits, and brands—including Starbucks, Taco Bell, Allstate, MTV, Mars, AstraZeneca, and AT&T. Most recently, he served as CMO of a global plan
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