Introducing the Ashoka Tech Podcast

As many of you know, I’ve been working at Ashoka this semester starting, hosting, and producing a brand new podcast for them on the intersection of technology and social entrepreneurship.  I’m happy to say that it has officially gone live, and is now listed in the iTunes store!  You can subscribe to the podcast in which I interview social entrepreneurs about how they are changing the world through technology by following this link (which opens iTunes).

Below is the official release about the podcast from Ashoka.  Thanks for checking it out!

We’re excited to announce the very first episode of the AshokaTECH Podcast!  Join Host Alex Budak as he interviews Ashoka Fellows and Changemakers from around the world, discussing the ways in which they are leveraging technology for the social good.  The interviews bring you even closer to inspiring social entrepreneurs  as they discuss their big ideas, best practices for engaging in social enterprise, as well as tips and advice for budding social entrepreneurs.  In bringing you as close to these leaders as possible, make sure to follow Alex on Twitter, @TheBudak, where you’ll have the opportunity to submit questions for future interviews, and transform the podcast into a two-way communication in this cutting-edge field.

The first episode features an interview with Ashoka-Lemelson Fellow, and founder of the World Toilet Organization, Jack Sim.  Jack joined the podcast from Singapore, and discussed the work he is doing to bring attention to sanitation issues worldwide, as well as his personal motto: “live a useful life.”  Along the way, Jack discusses how he mobilized a multinational coalition around sanitation issues, and tells listeners how they can participate in “World Toilet Day, 2009.

]]>

To experience humanity,” it’s often said, “one must ride a train in India.“ I’m not exactly sure what I experienced on my overnight bus rides in India, but I do know that it involved Bollywood, spooning, and a 2AM bathroom break.
Read the rest of my article on Overnight Busrides in India over on the Sosauce blog!
As much as traveling often finds us boarding planes, ships, and trains bound for exotic and far away locales, sometimes it’s worth remembering the travel adventures that sit in our own backyards. Such was the case for me in the San Francisco Bay Area, when, after returning from a couple of big cities, I wanted to escape to nature a bit.  I found my refuge in Castle Rock State Park, just south of San Francisco.  Filled with lush green trees, and dotted with small waterfalls, it’s a tranquil, if somewhat standard hike.  That is, until, you see the unusual rock formations carved into the canyons below, and wonder, often aloud, at how nature accomplished such a task.  You can take an hour or so stroll, or an all-day hike, and you still won’t be able to see all that the park has to offer.  You will, however, get a nice breath of fresh air! I’m the first one to seek out adventures in urban metropolises, but, every so often, it’s nice to look around and see the travel trips that nature has created for us right next door. —- I’m happy to now be a contributor to the Sosauce.com travel blog!  The above is my first entry, “Traveling Next Door to Nature,” but you can read the official one (and see more pictures from the hike), on their blog.
Pop-upView Separately

As much as traveling often finds us boarding planes, ships, and trains bound for exotic and far away locales, sometimes it’s worth remembering the travel adventures that sit in our own backyards.

Such was the case for me in the San Francisco Bay Area, when, after returning from a couple of big cities, I wanted to escape to nature a bit.  I found my refuge in Castle Rock State Park, just south of San Francisco.  Filled with lush green trees, and dotted with small waterfalls, it’s a tranquil, if somewhat standard hike.  That is, until, you see the unusual rock formations carved into the canyons below, and wonder, often aloud, at how nature accomplished such a task.  You can take an hour or so stroll, or an all-day hike, and you still won’t be able to see all that the park has to offer.  You will, however, get a nice breath of fresh air!

I’m the first one to seek out adventures in urban metropolises, but, every so often, it’s nice to look around and see the travel trips that nature has created for us right next door.

—-

I’m happy to now be a contributor to the Sosauce.com travel blog!  The above is my first entry, “Traveling Next Door to Nature,” but you can read the official one (and see more pictures from the hike), on their blog.

Finalist in TNT Travel Writing Contest

I was thrilled to see that my travel story, “Seeking Out Rats in India,” on my visit to the “Rat Temple” in India was selected by judges as a finalist for the 2009 TNT Travel Writing Awards.  I’d love if it you checked out the article, and, if you feel so inclined, voted to help get it published in their magazine / help me win some free travel in Europe!  Thanks!

Traveling Alone on an Indian Bus

Thanks to SoloTraveler for publishing my story “Traveling Alone on an Indian Bus” from this summer’s travels on their site!

Interview with SoSauce

SoSauce is a really hip, fun site focused on travel geeks.  I really appreciate how supportive they are of travelers and those looking to do good in the world.  You can check out an interview I did with them here: Social Entrepreneurship in India

Keeping Spirits (and your pants) Up Through Volunteering in India

Thanks, Wandering Educators!

Shameless Plug: Featured Interview on WanderingEducators.com


I’m so honored that they took the time to interview me for the wonderful travel blog WanderingEducators.com!

The interview touches on a number of things I’m passionate about: seeing the world, finding the excitement in exploring the everyday life of new cultures, and how the internet and the tools of new media are democratizing storytelling. As I mentioned in the article, “for a long time…elite publications have had a monopoly on what it meant to be a travel writer; now, however, anyone, anywhere with a story to tell can do so — and without spending a cent.” Check out the article, and spend some time exploring Wandering Educators while you’re at it!