Podcast Ep. 14 Stanford MBA ’95 Al Samuels meets MBA ’25 Joel Johnson

Today I’m joined by Al Samuels from the Stanford MBA Class of 1995 and Joel Johnson from the Class of 2025.Al is an award-winning stage, TV, and film actor, writer, and producer. He co-founded Spark Creative during our time at the GSB, bringing improvisation into business education long before it was a buzzword. His career spans Second City, Edinburgh Fringe, and dozens of corporate stages, all with a comedic twist and deep insight into team dynamics, creativity, and human connection.Joel is currently completing a dual degree at Stanford: an MBA and a Master of Science in Computer Science. He also earned his undergraduate degree at Stanford with a Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems.  During this time,  he served as Vice President of the Undergraduate Veterans. A former U.S. Marine Arabic linguist, Joel brings a rare mix of technical skill, leadership, and storytelling—now channeling it into a startup that makes it easier for families to capture and preserve oral histories.Together, we explore the creative tension between comedy and code, business and meaning, AI and ethics. This is a conversation about joy, agency, and improvisation—and why laughter might just be our best leadership skill in the face of a rapidly shifting world.CHAPTERS00:00 Reconnecting and Current Endeavors03:04 The Importance of Oral History06:12 Improv and Business School08:52 Psychology Experiments and Authority11:46 Military Experience and Personal Growth18:02 Navigating Career Choices and Life Changes23:59 Creativity in Business and AI Concerns30:19 Navigating Choices and Joy in Career Paths35:10 The Agony of Decision-Making41:34 Understanding Agency and Decision-Making48:22 The Impact of AI on Creativity and Employment01:02:28 Reflections on the Future of AI and HumanityCHAPTERSJoin the Podcast Series Stanford MBA: From Baby Boomer to Gen Z |  Class of ‘95 Meets Class of ‘25  Each of these episodes will feature a different pair of Stanford MBA people -- one from the class of 1995, and one from the class of 2025.  Remember to rate, review, and subscribe to stay connected with future episodes!📺 Also available on YouTube: Entire series playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSaVisoF0D_GKxVmHmakNxdpAJCb5_VTPMore info: https://www.katharinemclennan.com/ Contact: [email protected] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharinemclennan/