Best Summit Learning Institute Podcasts (2025)

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Ep.87: Thailand and Cambodia border conflict (again), Thai calls for new general election 54:41

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38m ago54:41

54:41

Thai-Cambodia border conflict flares again months after a peace accord signed in the presence of US President Trump. In the midst of this conflict, Thai PM dissolves parliament and calls for new general election.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Ep. 86: China-Japan spat, NZ MPs sent warning letter by PRC envoy, MAGA's MTG resigning from US Congress 1:01:06

24d ago1:01:06

1:01:06

Tensions brewing between China and Japan due to PRC's response to Japanese PM's comments about 'survival-threatening situation' pertaining to conflict in the Taiwan Strait. What's happening here? Over-reaction? Playing to domestic constituencies? Nationalism at play? Chinese envoy to NZ wrote a warning letter to NZ MPs that attended Taiwan's nation…

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Ep. 85: Learning a foreign language: opening minds, appreciating cultures, building self-confidence, creating opportunities 54:24

28d ago54:24

54:24

We share our experience of learning foreign languages and the importance of learning a different language. One of our students currently studying Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan shares her experience learning the language and living in Taipei.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Ep. 84: ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur and APEC meeting in Seoul 1:05:23

1M ago1:05:23

1:05:23

ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur saw the formal admission of Timor Leste as the newest ASEAN member, the transfer of chair-ship to the Philippines and US President Trump attended the summit. Seoul hosted the APEC meeting but the Trump-XI meeting stole the show as the leaders of the two largest economies met face to face.…

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Ep. 83: Trading democracy off for desirable outcomes? 1:05:06

2M ago1:05:06

1:05:06

We discuss a forthcoming research article to be published at the Comparative Political Studies by Jonathan Chu and colleagues on whether people are willing to trade-off democracy for desirable outcomes. The paper using experiments show that while free and fair elections are a desired, people in the six countries they studied (including US, Japan, I…

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Ep 82: Australia-PNG security pact and Australia-Vanuatu security and development pact 1:07:26

2M ago1:07:26

1:07:26

Recent news about Australia's pacts with Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu has highlighted the important of geopolitical competition in the South Pacific. However, despite the announcement of these pacts, they were not officially signed in time from the Pacific Island Forum. What are these pacts? Are there outstanding issues that preventing the pacts fr…

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Ep.81: Russian drones over Poland, Hyundai plant raided by immigration agents 59:23

3M ago59:23

59:23

Poland invoked NATO article 4 due to Russian drones violating Polish airspace. Immigration agents in the US raided a South Korean EV plant in the state of Georgia and deported over 300 South Korean workers.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Ep. 80: Impressions from the conference we hosted, US rebranding Pentagon to Department of War 1:03:09

3M ago1:03:09

1:03:09

We hosted a conference on "Asia-Pacific states: navigating and managing global disorder" a week ago. We share insights we learned from the conference. US Trump administration is planning to rebrand Pentagon to Department of War. The cost of this renaming alone can be in billions of dollars.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Ep. 79: Putin-Trump Alaska summit and Chinese ship collision in the South China Sea 1:03:16

4M ago1:03:16

1:03:16

What happened or not in the Alaska summit between Trump and Putin? Two Chinese ships collided while doing a pincer move chasing a Philippine coast guard vessel. Will there be escalation in the future?By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Ep 78: Geoeconomics and USTR Greer's New York Times guest essay 56:23

4M ago56:23

56:23

We discuss a paper on the political economy of geoeconomic power and discuss what theory means when applied to real world empirics. In an New York Times guest essay authored by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer titled "Why We Remade the Global Order," Greer argues that the agreement between the EU and the US made at Turnberry resort is a new w…

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Ep. 77: Thailand-Cambodia border skirmishes, Japan's LDP loses upper house majority, Taiwan's recall election 50:33

4M ago50:33

50:33

The Thai-Cambodia border skirmish has now escalated with both sides firing artillery across their borders. Why the escalation now? Japan's LDP loses its upper house majority and what does it mean for PM Ishiba's tenure as LDP party leader. Taiwan has a recall election in a bid to unseat KMT legislators and allow the DPP to regain legislative majori…

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Ep. 76: Tariff letters, Australian FM speech in Kuala Lumpur, and other interesting news 1:07:07

5M ago1:07:07

1:07:07

White House has sent out tariff letters to numerous countries but the the import taxes do not take effect till August 1st. FM Penny Wong gave a speech in the ASEAN meeting about managing differences between allies. Other interesting news such as the confirmation grilling of the US ambassador-designate to Singapore, the advanced RAF fighter jet stuc…

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Ep. 75: China-EU meeting, China pressuring to not show a South China Sea documentary, Thailand cabinet reshuffle and continuing political drama 1:07:54

5M ago1:07:54

1:07:54

China's FM had a meeting with EU counterpart to discuss outstanding issues on bilateral relations. A Philippine documentary "Food Delivery" on the South China Sea has received attention such that there are active lobbying by Chinese diplomats to not show the documentary. There is still continuing fallout from the leaked call of the Thai PM with for…

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The A.C.E.S.S. Blueprint™ & ScaleMax Hub: AI for Small Business Growth 7:44

6M ago7:44

7:44

The A.C.E.S.S. Blueprint™ & ScaleMax Hub: AI for Small Business Growth This inspiring podcast episode unlocks the secrets of The A.C.E.S.S. Blueprint™—a powerful five-step system designed to help small business owners, entrepreneurs, and solopreneurs attract, connect, engage, sell, and scale with confidence. This show is your gateway to ScaleMax Hu…

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How To Prepare Yourself To Thrive In The 4th Industrial Revolution 53:26

6M ago53:26

53:26

How To Prepare Yourself To Thrive In The 4th Industrial Revolution In this inspiring episode, Dr. Chris Harrison, co-founder of the Sondheim Institute, delivers a powerful and forward-thinking presentation to high school students in the Mills College at Northeastern University Upward Bound Program on June 18, 2025. Designed to motivate and prepare …

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Ep. 74: US bombs Iran and Thailand PM pressured to resign over leaked phone call 58:36

6M ago58:36

58:36

US bombed Iran's nuclear facility about a week after Israel attacked Iran. Why did the US attack now? Will their be a fallout from this decision? Is there a risk of a widening regional conflict? Thailand's border conflict with Cambodia has a new twist. A private phone conversation between the Thai PM and Cambodia's ex-strongman leader Hun Sen was l…

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Ep. 73: Israel-Iran conflict, NZ PM's upcoming Beijing visit, Pentagon reviews AUKUS, US Army day parade 1:07:35

6M ago1:07:35

1:07:35

Israel attacked Iran to decapitate its nuclear program and Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks. Will this turn into a regional war? NZ PM will visit Beijing, with lots going on domestically and internationally what are some of their likely talking points? Pentagon has decided to review the AUKUS arrangements catching Australia by surpris…

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Ep. 72: South Korean election, California vs US federal government spat, Thailand-Cambodia border dispute 1:00:29

6M ago1:00:29

1:00:29

South Korean liberal politician Lee Jae-myung won the presidency. With Korean society so polarised is this a 'poisoned chalice.' Trump administration in a spat with California threatened to cut federal funding, in turn California governor Gavin Newsom threatened to not turn over California's federal taxes. What is this spat all about? Thailand and …

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Ep. 71: Macron and Hegseth speeches at the 2025 Shangrila Dialogue 1:00:40

7M ago1:00:40

1:00:40

Shangrila Dialogue was held in Singapore last week. French president Macron spoke of the importance of Europe to engage Asia. US defense secretary Hegseth warns about hedging and implores regional states to spend at least 5% on their defense. Interestingly, China did not send their defense minister instead an academic delegation from their defense …

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Ep. 70: US Navy ship visit NZ, Philippine midterm elections, US reducing forces in Korea 1:02:10

7M ago1:02:10

1:02:10

US naval ship visits New Zealand after PLA Navy ships showed up in the Tasman Sea several months ago. With NZ planning to increase defense spending does this mean a closer defense relationship between the two countries since the breakup of ANZUS in the late 1980s? Philippine midterm elections shows the strength of political dynasties in the Philipp…

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Ep. 69: IR scholar Joe Nye, Pope Leo XIV, Asia's dollar demand, US orders intelligence gathering of Greenland 1:03:14

7M ago1:03:14

1:03:14

Prominent international relations scholar, Joseph Nye, passes away. We chat about his contribution to the study of international relations. Catholic Church has a new pope and the first born in the US. Asia's demand for US dollar is waning, what does it mean and what are likely implications? US is upping intelligence gathering on Greenland and Danis…

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Ep. 68: General Elections in Canada, Australia, and Singapore 1:04:59

8M ago1:04:59

1:04:59

The general elections of Canada, Australia, and Singapore returned incumbents and shows voters are voting for stability and steady hands at this time of global uncertainty.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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A Reflection On The Use And Value Of Our Custom GPTs 5:16

8M ago5:16

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A Reflection On The Use And Value Of Our Custom GPTs This podcast shares Dr. NNeka Allen-Harrison's reflection on the power of AI-powered custom GPTs featured as a solution by Summit Learning Institute®. This reflection was written by Dr. NNeka Allen-Harrison, Co-Founder and CEO of Summit Learning Institute®. ThinkPlan Builder Pro, a solution offer…

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Ep. 67: NZ FM's East-West Center speech, Trump and Zelensky meets in Vatican, Foreign interference warnings in Singapore's general election campaign period 49:23

8M ago49:23

49:23

NZ FM gave a speech at the East-West Center in Honolulu titled "Enduring Pacific Partnerships" that talks about the importance of NZ relations with US especially in the context of Pacific partnerships. Trump and Zelensky met just before the funeral mass of Pope Francis where Trump noted that Russia may not be serious about ending the war with Ukrai…

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Ep. 66: About the 2025 State of Southeast Asia Survey by ISEAS Singapore 1:00:39

8M ago1:00:39

1:00:39

The new State of Southeast Asia Survey is out and provides a snapshot of public opinions from SEA about all things that concern the region. Here is a link to the survey: https://www.iseas.edu.sg/centres/asean-studies-centre/state-of-southeast-asia-survey/the-state-of-southeast-asia-2025-survey-report/…

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Ep. 65: Liberation day to liquidation day: Tariffs, market crash, and global economy 59:56

8M ago59:56

59:56

Trump's liberation day announcement and the 'reciprocal' tariffs led to stock market crash and high market volatility. With global stock markets shedding trillions of dollars from its value and the eventual hit on US Treasury bonds as investors dump the bonds and yields on the bonds rise, Trump put a temporary 90-day halt on the tariffs. President …

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Ep. 64: South Korean president removed from office, White House launched massive tariffs 1:01:04

8M ago1:01:04

1:01:04

South Korean constitutional court removes president Yoon for declaring an illegal martial law in early December 2024. New presidential election is set for June 3rd. Trump administration launched the so called 'liberation day' by slapping 'reciprocal' tariffs on its own major trading partners. Markets are reacting with the significant declines of ma…

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Ep. 63: Ex-Philippine president Duterte ICC arrest and RNZAF P-8 Poseidon 1:08:08

9M ago1:08:08

1:08:08

Former Philippine president Duterte was arrested on an ICC warrant. What is this about and what are the implications to Philippine politics? The P-8 Poseidon is termed as a 'once in a generation' acquisition for the RNZAF but recent news report that the servicing of the planes cannot be done in New Zealand due to absence of technical capabilities. …

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Ep. 62: Update on Panama Canal deal, NZ PM Luxon's India visit, update on Ukraine-Russia 1:00:12

9M ago1:00:12

1:00:12

Panama canal deal by Hutchison Holdings is heavily criticised by China. What is it all about? NZ PM Luxon led a huge delegation to visit India and announced that both countries will negotiate a free trade deal. US is brokering a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, what are new updates.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Ep. 61: German defense spending, India comments on postwar order, China complains about port deals 1:02:47

9M ago1:02:47

1:02:47

Germany plans to spend big in defense spending as US commitment to Europe weakens, India says that benefits of postwar order is exaggerated signalling the end of the international rules-based order as we know it. China is reported to be very critical of the recent port deals by Hutchison. Voice of America is cutting staff and funding while Canada i…

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Ep. 60: Canada as canary in the coal mine? Tariffs, trade war, and Ukraine 1:01:03

9M ago1:01:03

1:01:03

US announced tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. Canada considers this an aggressive action by the US that seeks to weaken Canada. The fallout of the Oval Office shakedown continues as US freezes support to Ukraine. What is happening here? What is the implications to international politics?By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Ep. 59: CDU tops German elections but AfD made gains; Rumble in the Oval Office 1:03:21

10M ago1:03:21

1:03:21

The 2025 German Federal election results are out: governing SPD is third, CDU/CSU is tops, the far right AfD came in a strong second. What is the new picture of vote distribution across Germany? What does it mean for coalition and future governance? What does it mean for its foreign policy? Ukraine's president Zelensky went to the Oval Office expec…

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Episode 58: US-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia, PLA Navy nearby, Cook Islands update 1:01:09

10M ago1:01:09

1:01:09

US and Russia met in Saudi Arabia to discuss ground rules for negotiations to end the Ukraine war although no Ukrainians and Europeans attended. What does it mean? What are the implications? PLA Navy task force is spotted in international waters near Australia and NZ and disrupted commercial air traffic by having live fire exercises. Why? What is t…

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Episode 57: Era of Stick Power in International Relations? Vance in Munich, NZ-Cook Island spat 59:51

10M ago59:51

59:51

Is this now an era of stick power in international relations? An era of my way or the highway? US VP Vance spoke at the Munich Security Conference and lectured (or read the riot act) his European audience. NZ and Cook Islands are having an uncomfortable moment in their relationship when Cook Islands signed an agreement with China without prior aler…

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Season 2 Kickoff: Prepping for Bandon Dunes & Golf Season 4:33

10M ago4:33

4:33

Send us a text Welcome back to Back 9 Walking Golf Podcast—Season 2 is here! With the official golf season kicking off in the Pacific Northwest on March 1st, I’m gearing up for an epic trip to Bandon Dunes. In just a few days, I’ll be teeing it up at Shorty’s, Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, and Old MacDonald. In this episode, I break down my prep rou…

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Episode 56: Trump foreign policy, Gaza proposal, Panama Canal, and Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship thus far 1:02:01

11M ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Busy two weeks of Trump's administration and foreign policy is no exception -- Gaza proposal, hard talk about Panama Canal, turning El Salvador as a penal colony. Malaysia's chairing of ASEAN has been quiet and unambitious thus far, why?By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Episode 55: Trump's first week back as US president 57:57

11M ago57:57

57:57

US president Donald Trump has been busy since his inauguration one week ago. We chat about his inauguration speech and other things in President Trump's eventful week one on the first week of his 2nd term as US president.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Episode 54: Biden's farewell address, Gaza ceasefire, India 'acknowledging' an assassination plot, Polish general fired over landmines in IKEA, and US Defsec nominee has poor knowledge of SEA 59:28

11M ago59:28

59:28

Biden bows out of politics with his farewell address. Trump claims he has a hand in the Gaza ceasefire. India seems to be acknowledging an assassination plot on a US citizen. Landmines was stored wrongly in IKEA and a Polish general responsible for logistics was fired. After years of National Geographic's Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego progr…

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Episode 53: Greenland contingency and Indonesia joins BRICS 56:06

11M ago56:06

56:06

Trump threatens to take Greenland from Denmark and does not rule out the use of force. Indonesia has joined BRICS as a full member.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Episode 52: Elon Musk on UK politics, Trudeau resignation, Houthis and China 58:16

12M ago58:16

58:16

Elon Musk is on the news about supporting the UK Reform Party and him dabbling into UK politics. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau calling it quits. Lastly, news about China paying off Houthis for safe passage in the Red Sea.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Episode 51: Democratic Ceilings: Why democracies can stagnate. 56:07

12M ago56:07

56:07

Studies about democracies in the last eight years or so have focused on democratic recession or backsliding. Yet, there are democracies that do not regress but instead stagnate. We discuss an academic article that suggest that some democracies hit their ceilings and do not progress further because of the legacy of nationalist polarization that pers…

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Episode 50: News review and news surprises of 2024 and what to watch out for in 2025 58:58

12M ago58:58

58:58

We share about how the news we were watching out for in early 2024 transpired, what news caught us by surprise, and what are some of the news that we are watching out for in 2025.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Episode 49: Trouble spots: Syria and Europe 56:17

1y ago56:17

56:17

Syria's Assad regime suddenly collapse after 50 years of brutal rule. What's next? European politics is volatile these days. French president Macron has appointed a fifth prime minister to head a fragmented National Assembly. German chancellor Scholz's government suffered no-confidence vote. Many other problem spots within Europe. So what's happeni…

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Episode 48: Political Crisis in South Korea 56:56

1y ago56:56

56:56

South Korean President Yoon declared martial law and then had to rescind it once the National Assembly voted it down. Impeachment motion failed to pass the National Assembly leading to continued demonstrations in the country calling the president to resign. At the moment, a political stalemate seems likely to linger as the president refuses to step…

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Episode 47: Political punitivism and political revenge in South Korea 56:23

1y ago56:23

56:23

In this episode, our special guest Prof Youngho Cho of Sogang University in Seoul, Republic of Korea, discusses his research on why South Korea's presidential system is plague by a tit-for-tat political witch hunt.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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Episode 46: Notes from our Taiwan study tour 57:18

1y ago57:18

57:18

This episode is a chat from what we have learned in our study tour of Taiwan.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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The Ask Me Anything about TPI Show 55:00

1y ago55:00

55:00

Send us a text Welcome to the grand finale of my TPI Summit series! In this special episode, you go behind the scenes of my trip to Orlando for the TPI Summit. Recorded live as a webinar, this episode gave listeners the chance to "Ask Me Anything" about golf fitness, Summit insights, and my personal takeaways. We discuss swing speed, creating power…

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Episode 45: US elections 2024: crystal ball-gazing on foreign policy 56:53

1y ago56:53

56:53

We chat about the plausible foreign policy implications of the results of the 2024 US elections.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

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What I Learned at the 2024 TPI Summit on Days 2 and 3 20:08

1y ago20:08

20:08

Send us a text Welcome to Part 2 of our Back 9 Walking Golf Podcast TPI Summit Series! Want to be part of Part 3? Join my FREE Ask Me Anything Webinar where I will Take Audience Questions. It's Monday, November 18th at 7 pm Pacific. REGISTER for FREE. In this episode, we dive into the action-packed insights from Days 2 and 3 of the TPI Summit, feat…

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(Episode 2) | Underrepresented and Unemployed: The Black Workforce in the SF Bay Area | Community Conversations 52:15

1y ago52:15

52:15

(Episode 2) Underrepresented and Unemployed: The Black Workforce in the San Francisco Bay Area This podcast features a conversation ⁠between Dr. Khalid White, Azkia Muhammad, and Wid Jean-Mary as they share their thoughts about the experiences, challenges, and opportunities of the Black Workforce in the San Francisco Bay Area. This conversation is …