In this special Mother's Day episode of 'Unless: The Podcast,' host Dr. Hemma Lomax honors mothers everywhere by featuring a heartfelt conversation with Laurie Chevalier Fritz, her host mother from a high school exchange program. Laurie shares her journey as a daughter, mother, grandmother, and host mom who has welcomed many into her home and heart. Together, they discuss the trials and triumphs of motherhood, the importance of resilience, kindness, and ongoing learning. The episode is a tribute to all kinds of mother figures and their indispensable roles in our lives.

Check out the special guest intros by two little aspiring podcasters.

Highlights:

• Laurie's Journey: From Host Mom to Family Matriarch

• The Challenges and Joys of Motherhood

• Coping with the Psychological Load and Self-Care

• Care Packages and Military Life

• Honoring Mothers Everywhere

Biography:

Laurie Chevalier Fritz is a biological mother of four, a grandmother, a daughter, a sister, a host mom to students from around the world, and a mother figure to so many more.

A military wife who held the home front while her husband served long submarine deployments and served in many roles, including as a 911 Dispatcher, a tour carriage guide in downtown, Charleston, South Carolina, an active member of the local historical society, a Home Interiors representative, and head of the local PTA. She is the heart of her family and her community. Laurie was a young mom who grew into a wise and deeply rooted matriarch. A woman who has shown up in seasons of joy and in times of deep challenge, including recently, as she’s helped care for her father after a serious hospitalization, working alongside her two sisters to support both parents with love and devotion.

Laurie is also an avid historian, a passionate community activist, and someone who never stops learning—or caring. She has a lifelong dream of competing on Jeopardy!

In this episode of 'Unless the Podcast,' Dr. Hemma Lomax interviews Gwen Lee Hassan, Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at Unisys, and host of the Hidden Traffic Podcast. Gwen shares her personal journey into the field of compliance, driven by a traumatic family experience, and her commitment to combat human trafficking in corporate supply chains. The discussion covers the importance of aligning corporate values with ethical practices, leveraging technology to identify and prevent human trafficking, and practical advice for fostering a culture of ethical awareness and responsibility. Gwen provides actionable insights on how companies can better trace their supply chains and adopt risk-based approaches to compliance, emphasizing the vital role of education and strategic advocacy.

Key Highlights include:

• Gwen's Origin Story: From PR to Compliance

• The Role of a Chief Compliance Officer

• Stories from the Hidden Traffic Podcast

• Challenges in Addressing Human Trafficking

• The Importance of Technology in Combating Trafficking

Biography:

Gwen Lee Hassan serves as the Deputy Chief Compliance Officer leading the compliance program globally for Unisys Corporation, a leading digital workplace, cloud, enterprise computing and business process solution company. She previously served as Global Director of Compliance for CNH Industrial, the world’s third largest capital goods maker and second largest manufacturer of farming equipment where she also led the compliance program globally. Prior to CNH, she held legal and compliance roles of increasing responsibility with Navistar and Federal Signal Corporation among other manufacturing and logistics companies. Areas of specific experience include compliance program design, structure and operation; corruption and bribery prevention; trade compliance; supply chain integrity; global compliance investigations; enterprise risk assessment and management; third party due diligence; cross border merger and acquisition transactions; human trafficking prevention; ESG program design and operation; policy development and compliance education and communication.

She is the founder and host of the “Hidden Traffic” podcast designed to keep corporate compliance professionals updated about new developments in human trafficking and forced labor prevention and regulation. Gwen serves as an adjunct professor for the Loyola University School of Law where she has taught courses on ESG and corporate compliance law. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Heartland Alliance, an international non-profit, human rights, social, economic and racial justice organization. She is a graduate of DePaul University School of Law and the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She and her two children live in Oak Park, IL just outside of Chicago.

Resources:

Hidden Traffic Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/welcome-to-hidden-traffic-with-gwen-hassan/id1594891992?i=1000541512840

What if technology could unlock access to legal services for millions who can’t afford it?

In this episode of Unless, Hemma sits down with Zach Posner, co-founder of The LegalTech Fund, who’s on a mission to transform access to legal services —one beautifully designed, engagement-driven tech solution at a time. Zach shares how he went from entrepreneur to impact investor, the spark that led him to focus on legal innovation, and why user experience is the non-negotiable heart of every company he backs.

In this conversation, Zach talks about what drew him to this mission, how he funds and mentors entrepreneurs who are building tech to “do good and do well,” and why he believes the future of legal services lies in a “spectacular user experience.” He explores the opportunities for impact, the power of betting on bold founders moved to build a better world, and the real stories of people getting help they never thought they could afford—all because someone dared to care “a whole awful lot.”

This is an episode about access, innovation, and legacy—and how we can invest in a better world.

Highlights:

• The founding story of The LegalTech Fund

• Why beautiful design and user experience matter in legal tech

• The qualities Zach looks for in founders and companies

• Real-world impact stories from the startups he’s backed

• How to play a part in unlocking the potential of many for impact at scale

Timestamps:

1:09 - Introducing Zach Posner

3:23- Access to justice shouldn't be a luxury

14:28 - The challenges Zach faced along the way

18:08 - Prioritizing the user experience

27:15 - When Zach realized the impact he's had

41:15 - What's next for Zach

Resources:

The LegalTech Fund

TLTF Summit

Biography:

Zach Posner is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The LegalTech Fund (TLTF), an early-stage investment fund focused on technology companies transforming the world of law. He also co-founded the annual TLTF Summit, which brings together a curated group of influential and innovative leaders across the legal industry, and has been called “the legal tech world's answer to Davos" and the “best legal tech conference ever”. At TLTF, he oversees the organization’s team, investments, operational activities, and support for its growing list of portfolio of companies. Before founding TLTF, he founded an EdTech company (sold to McGraw-Hill) and has been an active angel investor. He started his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Insight Partners, and served in several other roles including as an adjunct lecturer in a master’s program at the University of Southern California. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting & Finance from Indiana University and is a proud Hoosier.

In this episode of 'Unless the Podcast,' Dr. Hemma Lomax interviews Cliona O'Hara, CEO of the Napoleon Hill Institute and inspirational thought leader on personal growth. Cliona shares her inspiring journey from growing up in poverty in Northern Ireland to becoming a leading figure in personal development and coaching.

Tune in to hear Cliona and Hemma discuss the transformative power of thought, the principles of Napoleon Hill's philosophy, and Cliona’s global vision for the institute, including her plans for helping women and single mothers. Cliona also offers practical advice on finding purpose, overcoming fear, and maintaining a positive mindset through personal anecdotes and teachings from Bob Proctor.

Highlights:

• From Cliona's Early Life and Inspirations

• Embracing Purpose and Philanthropy

• How to Overcome a Scarcity Mindset

• Practical Steps to Manifesting Wealth from Napoleon Hill

• The Role of Leadership and Living a Meaningful Legacy

Timestamps:

1:34 - Introducing Cliona

11:34 - Why taking action is so critical

17:01 - Cliona's passion for philanthropy

29:09 - Cliona's advice for those scared for their future

38:48 - The difference between achievement and fulfillment

47:15 - Napoleon Hill's legacy

Resources:

Courses, Events, and Coaching: https://www.napoleonhillinstitute.com/

Free E-Book: https://www.napoleonhillinstitute.com/think-and-grow-rich-book

Biography:

Cliona was born and raised in Derry, Northern Ireland. When she was 18, Cliona took a huge leap of faith and moved to New York to chase the American Dream.

At the age of 27, Cliona stumbled upon the movie “The Secret,” which would eventually transform her life from poverty and despair to a life of abundance and success. This movie was the beginning of an “awakening” for her as she started studying daily all things “personal development and human potential,” and immediately, her life began to transform.

In 2014, Cliona became dissatisfied with the corporate world and decided to sell her companies in healthcare. One she had started when she was 29 the other was a family business she had shares in was valued at approximately $100million in 2016. She decided to leave the Healthcare Industry behind and pursue her true passion, Personal Development and Coaching.

Cliona has studied personal growth for over 17 years and has worked with some of the masters in personal development. She became a coach with Bob Proctor and soon moved up the ranks to become an Inner Circle Coach and VP of Sales, now she is working with Dr. Joe Vitale and being mentored by Matt Higgins from Shark Tank.

Today, Cliona is living her purpose as she coaches clients all over the world, helping them achieve their goals, know their worth, and create a life of financial freedom, joy, abundance, and health.

Christian Hunt has over 27 years of experience in Financial Services, working in Investment Banking, Asset Management, and a Family Office. He is the founder of Human Risk, a consultancy where he helps organizations improve their ethics and compliance programmes to achieve business outcomes. His work benefits from the unique perspective of having held senior roles as a Regulator and Risk & Compliance Officer.

Resources

You can find more information about Christian and his services and his book, Humanizing Rules at www.human-risk.com

You can peruse his collection of amusing "Compliance in the Wild" spotting on LinkedIn.

You can also listen to the Human Risk Podcast.

In this episode of 'Unless the Podcast,' Hemma interviews Melanie Sponholz, the Chief Compliance Officer and Director of Responsible Investing at Waud Capital Partners and a professor at Fordham Law. Melanie shares her unique career journey, which began as an English major and transitioned through roles in physical therapy and compliance leadership for a leading private equity firm and their portfolio of healthcare companies.

Tune in to hear this engaging discussion on the challenges and opportunities in private equity, including the importance of efficiency and creating a community of practice among compliance professionals. Melanie's approach to mentoring and professional development within and outside her portfolio companies highlights her dedication to elevating the compliance profession.

Highlights:

• Melanie's Career Journey: From Literature to Compliance

• The role of the Unexpected Compliance Officer

• Responsible Investing and ESG Strategy

• Private Equity's Reputation and Impact

• Mentorship and Building Professional Communities

Timestamps:

3:11 - Introducing Melanie

13:18 - The importance of a human-centered approach

24:37 - Melanie's unique role in the PE space

33:22 - Responsible investing

47:18 - Efficiency in private equity

53:43 - Melanie's thoughts on corporate compliance

Biography

‍In Melanie's compliance role, she serves as a strategic resource to the firm’s healthcare portfolio companies to support the mission of creating and maintaining a strong culture of ethics and compliance within WCP-affiliated entities. She works in tandem with the WCP investment teams and portfolio company leadership teams throughout the life cycle of every investment to build best-in-class compliance programs, provide effective risk assessment, guide compliance team development, coordinate with legal and outside consultants, provide guidance on due diligence and integration efforts, and prepare for future transactions.

Prior to joining WCP, Melanie served as Chief Compliance Officer at BioScrip, Home Solution, and Fox Rehabilitation. She is a frequent speaker on healthcare compliance and strives to support the compliance professio by mentoring and creating networking and development opportunities for her team and others in the field. Melanie holds a BA, magna cum laude, from Drew University and an MS, with honors, from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, as well as numerous credentials from the Compliance Certification Board.

Outside of her professional career, Melanie enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters, cooking, doing Peleton everything, and daydreaming about her future life on an organic farm with many, many rescue dogs.

In this episode, Hemma visits with Margarita Quihuis to talk about Peace Innovation and the role that Responsible Persuasive Techology can play in having impact at scale. Margarita is the CEO of PeaceX Ventures, the first venture studio dedicated to building ESG-native companies from the ground up. She is also the Executive Director of the Peace Innovation Lab (PIL) at Stanford and the Peace Innovation Institute at The Hague.

Tune in to hear how Margarita defines positive peace not as the absence of conflict but instead as a reflection of how the world works together on a micro-level, interacting with each other and our environment. Leveraging her expertise in behavior design and technology, Margarita helps her clients solve for X, where X is everything from AI to business to urban planning and beyond. If it exists, she’s trying to find a way to build peace into it. If, like Margarita, you agree that the time has come to be done talking about the problems that plague the world, and instead to find solutions, you won’t want to miss this episode.

Highlights:

• Margarita’s Incredible Journey to Silicon Valley at an inflection point for mobile technology and personal computing

• Behavior design and persuasive technology

• Our role in fostering positive peace in our communities and beyond

Timestamps:

1:23 - Introducing Margarita

4:40 - Margarita's "origin story"

9:12 - Leading as a female director at a venture capital firm

14:08 - Margarita's experience as a woman in Silicon Valley

28:05 - The female gaze in business

36:01 - What is Peace Innovation?

51:01 - What does responsible AI look like?

55:52 - Climate action and responsibility

59:48 - Designing positive behaviors

Resources:

https://margaritaquihuis.com/

Biography

‍Margarita Quihuis is the CEO of PeaceX Ventures, the first venture studio dedicated to building ESG-native companies from the ground up. She is the Executive Director of the Peace Innovation Lab (PIL) at Stanford and the Peace Innovation Institute at The Hague.

Margarita launched Astia, the first technology incubator for women entrepreneurs, and raised $67M in venture funding within 18 months.

As a public speaker on entrepreneurship and social behavior, she has addressed many corporations and institutions on ESG, ethical business, and innovation.

Margarita divides her time between academia and corporate engagements. As a research team member at BJ Fogg’s Behaviour Design Lab, she combines behavioral change, persuasive tech, and finance for real-world impact.

At PIL, she researches innovation, mass collaboration, and social technology to reform society. The focal points of her work have included the application of persuasive technology for government innovation, humanitarian relief, and citizen diplomacy.

Honors include:

• Named “One of the 100 Most Influential Latinos in Silicon Valley” by Latino Leaders Magazine

• Named Manor Labs: “Bright Idea” Innovator by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance at Harvard University

• Named one of Women’s eNews’ “21 Leaders for the 21st Century”

Margarita has also been an entrepreneurship consultant to the US State Department.

She has been widely quoted in the Asian Venture Capital Report, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, US News & World Report, Forbes ASAP, CNN, and CBS MarketWatch.