A chance Hacker Hall conversation at DWeb Camp — sparked by the words “Holochain” and “Nostr” — pulled host Liz Sweigart into conversation with technologist-activist Daveed Benjamin. Within hours, they were mapping constellations of human knowledge and scheming how to weave deeper context and connection into the fabric of the Internet.

In this episode of Past the Profile, Daveed (co-author of The Metaweb: The Next Level of the Internet and catalyst behind the Meta-Layer Initiative) traces the path from local-energy advocate to architect of a web where everyone can link, label, and share context. He and Liz explore why our data should serve us, how “bridges” can replace one-way links, and what it takes to crowd-draft the next layer of the Internet before June 30, 2025.

Highlights

• How seeing the Web’s “dots without lines” led Daveed to design two-way bridges that anyone, not just site owners, can draw between pages.
• Why he believes personal data, properly stewarded, will eclipse homes and cars as our most valuable asset.
• A primer on the Trivium (knowledge → understanding → wisdom) and why today’s Internet gets stuck at Step 1.
• The MetaLayer submission assistant (“Bridgit”) that turns germs of ideas or favorite links into formal proposals for the next-gen Web.
• An open invitation to mid-2025’s first white-paper sprint: drafting the “Desirable Properties of a MetaLayer" as suggested by Vint Cerf.

Host Liz Sweigart met Dr. Sunni Lampasso during a pandemic-era phone call arranged by a mutual colleague at the Society of Consulting Psychology. Months later they finally connected in person — walking Minneapolis streets between APA Convention sessions and bonding over a shared love of live music.

In this episode of Past the Profile, Sunni traces a career arc that runs from hedge-fund consulting to coaching international DJs. Along the way she recounts the childhood moment she pulled her grandmother from deep water, the lifeguard mindset that still shapes her work, and the “Level Up” book tour she’s using to platform emerging artists.

Highlights:

• How a rescue at age 11 sparked a lifelong drive to show up for people in crisis.
• Why Lampasso treats imposter syndrome, performance anxiety, and rejection as data points — not diagnoses — for the artists she coaches.
• The mechanics of her new partnership model: record labels retaining a psychologist “on call” to keep talent healthy.
• Plans for a low-cost subscription community so up-and-coming DJs can access live trainings and Q&A sessions.
• Insights from Miami Music Week and why being “front-row support” can change an artist’s trajectory.
• A tour schedule that doubles as grassroots networking — showcasing local DJs in every city.

Host Liz Sweigart connected with Dr. Jenn Serlin only a month before this conversation was recorded through a Society of Consulting Psychology (APA Diviosn 13 / SCP) listserv thread. And yet, their first Zoom felt like two long-time friends resuming an endless conversation. That instant rapport shapes this episode of Past the Profile, where Jenn — performance psychologist, executive coach, lifelong learner, and unapologetic information junkie — explains why she’s pivoting her practice to serve pro-democracy candidates and causes.

Highlights:

• How two consulting psychologists smashed the “impostor override” button to forge a fast partnership.
• Jenn's mantra of “What’s next?” — from private practice to sports psychology and now political psychology.
• The link between playing hockey at 40 and coaching leaders to skate past fear.
• Why she calls herself a “broker of reality” and how that skill helps campaigns combat disinformation.
• The shared thread among data sovereignty, democracy protection, and showing up with radical curiosity.
• What Jenn is looking for now: allies ready to meet this political moment with evidence, empathy, and action.