This episode’s guest of Forever a Golden Bear is Michael Sharf, formerly of Cal men’s water polo, and now the co-founder and CEO of Bridge Athletic, a strength and conditioning software company utilized by teams across every professional sports league in America and power 5 NCAA conference. In this discussion, Michael describes his journey as a software entrepreneur, detailing the relevance of MBA’s to aspiring founders, the tranches of fundraising, and the contrasts of the CEO role between an emerging startup and established organization. Michael shares how using his intuition to guide his career choices, aligning his interests with his aspirations, and the skills he honed as an athlete in leadership, grit, and mindfulness have helped him build a market-leading platform.

This episode’s guest of Forever a Golden Bear is Dr. Ian Tong, formerly of Cal rugby and now the chief medical officer of Doctor on Demand, now a part of Included Health, the nation’s leading virtual care medical practice. In this discussion, Ian shares with us his journey through the healthcare industry, describing the process of medical school and residency, and the responsibilities and day-to-day experience of a physician, medical director, and chief medical officer. Ian shares how his lifelong commitment to learning, an interpersonal focus, and the skills he has developed through seeking out uncomfortable situations, learning from them, and using those insights to improve each day have helped him to play a key role in transforming healthcare delivery.

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In this episode of Forever a Golden Bear, Stu Gordon, formerly of Cal baseball, shares with us his remarkable journey from a career-changing baseball injury, to becoming Student Body President of the UC Berkeley School of Law, to becoming partner and co-founder of Gordon & Rees -- the 24th largest law firm in the United States, comprising more than 1,000 lawyers in 70 offices located throughout every state of America. In this discussion, Stu shares key insights including how pairing competitiveness with respect and courtesy, developing earned confidence in one’s knowledge and abilities, and an indefatigable work ethic have served him both in his career and those of the thousands of lawyers he has witnessed and mentored.