Bay Area Innovators

The Constitution on Today's Hottest Debates: From Campus Free Speech to Homeless Encampments

What does the Constitution actually say about the issues dominating today's headlines? In this second episode with Ilan Wurman, constitutional law professor at the University of Minnesota and author of The Constitution of 1789, host Steve Ispas runs through some of America's most contested debates and asks Wurman to apply the framers' original intent to each one. The conversation covers free speech on college campuses and the limits of student visa protections, the constitutional case for and against sanctuary cities, the legal framework behind ICE raids and mandatory detention, the extraction of Maduro from Venezuela, the Iran military operations, whether the president can fire the Federal Reserve chair, the truth and complexity behind the Constitution's relationship with slavery and the 1619 Project, and the legal battle Wurman is personally fighting to clear homeless encampments in Berkeley and Phoenix using public nuisance law. Wide-ranging, fast-moving, and grounded in constitutional scholarship, this episode brings the founding document directly into the middle of 2026's biggest national debates. Watch the full episode for a constitutional scholar's take on the controversies dividing America today.

The FIFA World Cup's Effect on Private Aviation & the Pilot Behind the US's Fastest-Growing Carrier

What happens when the world's biggest sporting event collides with one of the fastest growing sectors in private transportation? In this episode of Bay Area Innovators, host Steve Ispas sits down with Barry Shevlin, CEO of Fly USA, America's fastest growing private aviation company for two years running. Barry shares how the FIFA World Cup has driven record demand for private aviation, with international clients from England, Spain, Brazil, and Germany traveling between host cities for weeks at a time — a surge that is set to make June Fly USA's biggest month ever. The conversation goes deeper than the World Cup, covering how Barry and his wife founded Vology in a garage in 2002 during the dot-com bust, grew it from $1 million to $175 million in revenue, and applied those same business lessons to launch Fly USA with his son-in-law in 2020. Barry also breaks down what private aviation actually costs, how the boarding experience works, and why he believes the business is less about luxury and more about giving clients control of their time. Watch the full episode for a wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship, private aviation, and building businesses that grow even when the economy doesn't.

From the Founders' Genius to Today's Debates: How the Constitution Was Built to Last

What makes the U.S. Constitution different from every other governing document in history—and is it still working the way the founders intended? In this episode of Bay Area Innovators, host Steve Ispas sits down with Ilan Wurman, constitutional law professor at the University of Minnesota and author of the upcoming book "The Constitution of 1789." Raised in Palo Alto and educated at Stanford, Wurman is one of the leading voices on the original meaning of the Constitution and the structure of American government. The conversation covers the revolutionary origins of written constitutionalism, the genius behind the separation of powers, and how the founders designed each branch of government to function well—not just to prevent tyranny. Wurman explains the rise of the modern administrative state, often called the "fourth branch," and argues that today's independent agencies operate in ways the Constitution never intended. The discussion also tackles judicial power and its limits, what happens when the Supreme Court gets a major decision wrong, the constitutional tools meant to address corruption, and the ongoing debate over birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment. Watch the full episode for a wide-ranging conversation about the structure, history, and enduring relevance of America's founding document.

He Left a Fortune 500 CFO Job to Buy a Struggling Crab Company, and Then Took It Global

What would drive someone to get detained during a military coup in Nigeria, stranded in a Mozambique civil war zone with lions nearby, and still get back on a plane to do it all over again? In this episode of "Bay Area Innovators," host Steve Ispas sits down with Terry Conway, former CFO of Purdue Farms turned CEO of Handy Seafood, who spent decades traveling to 17 countries in search of the perfect crab—and built a global empire along the way. Terry shares how a struggling Chesapeake Bay operation became an international brand across seven countries, what he learned working under Frank Perdue, and why trust and collaboration were the only business plan he ever needed. Watch the full episode to find out what someone will actually go through for a great crab.

Why Americans Pay So Much for Drugs: A Pharma CEO Exposes the System

In this episode of Bay Area Innovators, host Steve Ispas sits down with Jeremy Levin, a South African-born physician and one of the most influential leaders in global biopharmaceuticals. Levin shares an extraordinary personal journey—from fleeing apartheid as a child to watching his journalist father escape arrest twice for speaking the truth to being admitted to Oxford on the strength of a single conversation despite near-failing high school grades. The discussion goes deep on a question at the center of public debate: Why has trust in the pharmaceutical industry collapsed, and who is actually responsible? Jeremy draws a sharp and often surprising distinction between the biotech companies quietly innovating in the lab every day and the powerful middlemen—pharmacy benefit managers and insurers—who he says consume roughly 50 percent of the price of every drug without delivering meaningful value to patients. The conversation also covers the future of cancer treatment, the role of alternative medicine, why he believes biotech is one of America’s most critical and misunderstood strategic assets, and what the industry must do differently to earn the public’s trust back. Watch the full episode for a candid and sweeping conversation about medicine, purpose, and the human cost of a broken system.