Ep. 163 – Vlada Bortnik
Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg
Be Here Now Network
4.6 • 682 Ratings
🗓️ 20 September 2021
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
For episode 163 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with Vlada Bortnik.
Vlada is co-founder and CEO of Marco Polo, the popular video communication app that so many have relied on in this past year and a half of covid! Vlada is an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, and her path to Silicon Valley has been one of determination and steadfast passion for making the world a happier place. Vlada’s approach to life as a busy mom and tech CEO is grounded in mindfulness and meditation.
The conversation starts with Vlada and Sharon discussing Marco Polo and how the app has connected folks, especially during COVID. Vlada shares her observations about how the development of email, text, and social media has changed the way that people connect in the last twenty years and how the evolution of public-facing connections has increased loneliness for so many. They talk about the Marco Polo app and the different features it offers to promote real connection. Vlada shares about her early life and how her family immigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union. Sharon tells some stories about her covertly teaching meditation in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s with Joseph Goldstein. They talk about how Vlada came to meditation practice and how it has affected her life as a mother, her work life as a CEO, and the culture she has built at Marco Polo.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | To be enlightened is to be intimate with all things, Dogan Zenji. |
| 0:05.0 | What if every relationship, whether with a friend, a partner, a stranger, or even nature, was an opportunity for awakening? |
| 0:14.0 | Join us for intimacy with all things, cultivating conscious relationships in daily life. |
| 0:20.0 | A 10-day virtual immersion with |
| 0:22.5 | Ram Dass and friends, starting April 21st. In a world that often feels isolating, this course |
| 0:29.1 | offers daily Dharma talks, guided teachings, and wisdom from Ram Dass, Sharon Salzburg, |
| 0:35.2 | Krishnodos, Frank Ostayesky, David Nichtern, and Gary Zukoff. |
| 0:40.2 | Learn to break down the walls of separation and experience life through love and connection. |
| 0:47.0 | Discover how to see the divine in yourself and others. |
| 0:50.8 | Deep in intimacy beyond surface-level relationships. |
| 0:58.4 | Navigate family, friendship, and work through a spiritual lens step out of loneliness and into the heart of love and compassion |
| 1:03.4 | sign up now to begin your journey of connection |
| 1:06.4 | visit romdos.org forward slash today intimacy. |
| 1:11.0 | Welcome to the Meta Hour with Sharon Salzburg, where Buddhist wisdom meets everyday life. |
| 1:32.2 | This podcast is brought to you by the Be Here Now Network and features interviews with the top leaders, teachers, and thinkers of the mindfulness movement and beyond. |
| 1:43.1 | For more information, |
| 1:45.0 | visit beherenownetwork.com |
| 1:47.8 | backslash Sharon. |
| 1:54.0 | Hi, I'm Sharon Salzberg, |
| 1:56.3 | and I'm speaking today with Vlada Bortnick. |
| 1:59.4 | Vlada is co-founder and CEO of Marco Polo. |
| 2:03.2 | The popular video communication app that so many have relied on this past year and a little bit more of COVID. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Be Here Now Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Be Here Now Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.