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The #OneOxford campaign started with a simple question: “What's your One thing you'd change about Oxford?” These conversations became Coffee's On Me — a podcast where we explore the stories, struggles, and hopes of students across Oxbridge.
Coffee's On Me
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Dr Arthur Laffer & David Quan 权丁文 | Presidential Medal of Freedom, Laffer Curve (Smithsonian), TIME 'Century's Greatest Minds', UK 'Prosperity Through Growth' (5 PMs Interviewed), 85YO Father of 6, Live Global Q&A | Coffee's on Me, Podcast Community
Dr. Arthur Laffer: "In over half a century advising presidents and prime ministers, and as an Economics professor, I've loved 'badass' youths - the few who actually do their homework, have personal curiosity about our broader world, and aren't afraid to push back constructively to problem-solve. From meeting David Quan 权丁文 at the Oxford Union to our special engagement for his Podcast Coffee's on Me - with students around the world joining live - I felt reinvigorated on why I still love engaging with young people even at age 85. David's founding ideals of giving, learning, and sharing mirror my own, and the global community he's built proves the point: get the incentives right, and people flourish! Over 3 hours, David asked well-researched questions, got me rocking, and I'd gladly return for more elaborate debates!"Thank you to Laffer Associates - Jillian Rooney and Belinda Dwyer - for their coordination, and to the Oxford Union for hosting Dr. Laffer's address where we first connected!Full video interview with Dr Arthur Laffer available on: www.CoffeesOnMeDavidQuan.com! Join the 'Coffee's on Me, David Quan 权丁文' Podcast Community - 1 Gift in Newsletter, 10+ socials, 100+ interviews, 20,000+ contributors - for more opportunities 💙Dr. Arthur Laffer is one of the most influential economists of the past half-century. Known for the "Laffer Curve" - a concept he famously sketched on a napkin in 1974 that now resides in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History - his ideas have shaped economic thinking and policy on both sides of the Atlantic.At 85, Dr. Laffer remains intellectually vital. His career spans:Founder & Chairman, Laffer Associates (economic research and consulting)Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient (2019) - the highest US civilian honorTIME Magazine "One of the Century's Greatest Minds" (1999)First Chief Economist, Office of Management and Budget (Nixon administration, under George Shultz)Economic Policy Advisory Board, President Reagan (1981-1989)Economic Adviser to Prime Minister Margaret ThatcherFormer Professor: University of Chicago (tenured at 28), USC, Pepperdine UniversityAuthor: Prosperity Through Growth (2025), Taxes Have Consequences (2022), and the annual Rich States, Poor StatesEducation: BA Economics (Yale), MBA & PhD Economics (Stanford)Father of 6, grandfather of 14, great-grandfather of 4His latest book, Prosperity Through Growth: Boosting Living Standards in the Age of Autocracy and AI (October 2025), draws on interviews with five former British Prime Ministers and nine former Chancellors to address the UK's economic future - warning that without policy changes, Britain may slide from 30th to 48th in global GDP per capita by 2050.Whether you agree or disagree with his ideas, Dr. Laffer's influence on global economic thinking is undeniable. This 3+ hour conversation explores his Ohio childhood, Yale and Stanford years, the famous napkin moment, his advisory roles across administrations, his views on incentives and prosperity, the UK economy, AI's impact on economics, and his reflections on legacy - with a live global audience joining for Q&A!WHY? COFFEE'S ON ME, DAVID QUAN 权丁文TL;DR: To process my emotions after a grueling campaign for President of The Cambridge Union, I reflected upon the influences of my late Grandfather and wrote him a letter: www.coffeesonmedavidquan.com. Drawing inspiration from him, I hope to learn more from others through genuine discussions – giving listeners heartfelt conversations filled with authentic insights, and giving guests l
Richard Verity & David Quan 权丁文 | Alsama Schools for Refugees, McKinsey Partner, Illiterate to University-Ready (1000+ Children), Library of Congress Literacy Award, G12++ Refugee Baccalaureate, Cricket for Empowerment, | Coffee's on Me Podcast Community
Full video interview with Richard Verity available on: www.CoffeesOnMeDavidQuan.com ! Join the ‘Coffee’s on Me, David Quan’ Podcast Community - 1 Gift in Newsletter, 10+ socials, 100+ interviews, 20,000+ contributors - for more opportunities 💙Big Give to Alsama this week (all donations will be doubled): donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS000006KROnYAO Guest Richard Verity: "Interviewees don't always get the interviewers they deserve. But with David Quan 权丁文, Alsama became lucky. No other interviewer prepared so broadly and probed so deeply. At times, I felt uncomfortable, but that was a price I was glad to pay in return for empathy and understanding. I now understand why 'Coffee's on Me, David Quan 权丁文' Podcast commands such a following and community.“ Thank you to Nigel, Fairy, and Amelia for the filming! ---Richard Verity is a former management consultant and ex-McKinsey partner who, in 2020, radically changed his life trajectory. Alongside Kadria Hussein, Mohammed Khair, and his wife Meike (Micah) Ziervogel, he co-founded the Alsama Project — meaning "the sky" in Arabic.The journey that led to Alsama began, as Richard describes it, with a "simultaneous midlife crisis." Meike had written five novels and was running a publishing company in North London; Richard was spending his time in company headquarters, airports, and hotels. What was missing from their outwardly privileged lives was a palpable feeling of social impact. So, when their children left for university, they went to Lebanon. There, Richard did, in his words, "one brilliant thing": he introduced cricket to the teenagers of Shatila refugee camp, simply because he spoke no Arabic and needed a way to connect.As a non-contact sport where boys and girls can train and compete together, cricket became what Richard calls "a crash course in coping with success and failure" — and critically, a vehicle for girls' leadership in a context where 41% face early marriage.As Head of Strategy and Development, Richard has helped grow Alsama from a small empowerment centre into an award-winning NGO. They now operate four WASC-accredited education centres serving over 1,000 students - 66% of whom are girls - alongside 22 cricket hubs reaching 900 players across Lebanon. In February 2025, they launched their first international education centre in Syria.The model is remarkable: 90% of students arrive completely illiterate, yet Alsama prepares them for university in six years rather than twelve. The project has prevented early marriage for 256 girls - 99% of cases. And in 2026, they will launch the G12++, a first-of-its-kind, curriculum-agnostic high school equivalent certification designed for and by refugees and displaced youth, co-developed with Cambridge Assessment, Oxford MeasurED, the University of Leicester, and Alsama's own students.What speaks most to Alsama's character: during the 2024 war in Lebanon, they were the only educational provider that did not miss a single day of school.Their work has been recognised with the 2024 Library of Congress Literacy Award and the 2025 Ockenden Prize for advancing the self-reliance of refugees.---WHY? COFFEE'S ON ME, DAVID QUAN 权丁文 TL;DR: To process my emotions after a grueling campaign for President of The Cambridge Union, I reflected upon the influences of my late Grandfather and wrote him a letter: www.coffeesonmedavidquan.com. Drawing inspiration from him, I hope to learn more from others through genuine discussions – giving listeners heartfelt conversations filled with authentic insights, and giving guests legacy-worthy interviews to treasure. After completing over 100 interviews and reaching more than 20,000 listeners in Season 1, I now return with deep gratitude and renewed enthusiasm!
Dr Ally Louks & David Quan 权丁文 | 120M+ Viral PhD 'Politics of Smell' (Threats, Police → Cambridge Support → Book Deal 2027!), Healing (Stepdad's Passing 11YO, Therapy, Body Awareness), Bisexual Vegan Feminist, Why No AI, Maple | Coffee's on Me Community
Full video interview with Dr Ally Louks available: www.CoffeesOnMeDavidQuan.com !Dr. Ally Louks: "I had such a wonderful time speaking to David for his Podcast "Coffee’s on Me, David Quan 权丁文" in the grounds of my Cambridge University college, Peterhouse. Despite being encroached upon by a ladybird, a wasp, and a stray coffee cup over the course of the conversation, I wouldn’t have change the outdoor setting for the world. David was such a generous and thoughtful interlocutor and a natural interviewer, who allowed me to feel at ease, despite my general introversion. There were moments of real symbiosis that I’ll remember fondly and I am glad they were captured. It’s certainly the most intimate and personal interview I’ve done to date and I learned a little about myself too: namely that I am really bad at lightning round answers (sorry). But we covered so many topics close to my heart: books, mental health, smell in its many facets (of course), bisexuality, and how to cope with being a creative and empathetic person in an increasingly harsh world.“ Thank you to Zhilin Xu 徐之霖 for the filming and video editing! Join DQuan-mmunity of 20 000+: www.CoffeesOnMeDavidQuan.com… where we kindly share ‘legacy-worthy’ life/study/career interviews, systems, and resources flourishing our Hero's Journey. Receive my Gifts repository & Newsletter with behind-the-scenes insights – 100% free, all to forward on my blessings! ---Dr. Ally Louks is an author, public academic, and supervisor in English Literature at the University of Cambridge. Her work is situated in the interdisciplinary field of Sensory Studies, but her focus is on smell, culture, and literature. She is currently working to turn her PhD thesis on the politics of smell in modern and contemporary literature into an academic book and is writing a trade non-fiction book called Under Your Nose: The Pleasures and Politics of Smell, to be published in Spring 2027 by Chatto & Windus and Tarcher, imprints of Penguin Random House. She is invested in bringing academic work on smell to public audiences through social media, broadcasting, and public writing.---WHY? COFFEE'S ON ME, DAVID QUAN 权丁文 TL;DR: To process my emotions after a grueling campaign for President of The Cambridge Union, I reflected upon the influences of my late Grandfather and wrote him a letter: www.coffeesonmedavidquan.com. Drawing inspiration from him, I hope to learn more from others through genuine discussions – giving listeners heartfelt conversations filled with authentic insights, and giving guests legacy-worthy interviews to treasure. After completing over 100 interviews and reaching more than 20,000 listeners in Season 1, I now return with deep gratitude and renewed enthusiasm! And the best part for guests? Coffee’s on Me, David Quan 权丁文
Dr Mohamed El-Erian & David Quan 权丁文 | Cambridge Chancellor Candidate, Queens' President, Ex-PIMCO CEO ($1.9T AUM), Harvard Endowment CEO, Allianz Chief Economist, Ex-IMF Deputy Director, 'New Normal' Architect | Coffee's on Me, David Quan 权丁文
"My fireside chat with David Quan 权丁文 was comprehensive, engaging, and superb. He clearly did his research, asked penetrating questions, and even got me to discuss topics I've never covered in prior public conversations. The fact that our discussion lasted 2.5 hours, and that the entire audience remained engaged, says it all." - Dr Mohamed El-Erian, Chancellor Candidate of Cambridge University. Full Video Interview Available: CoffeesOnMeDavidQuan.com !---A brief biography of Dr Mohamed El-Erian: President of Queens' College, Cambridge University (2020-present)Cambridge Chancellor Candidate (2025 election, July 9-18)Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz SE (2014-present)Chair of Gramercy Fund ManagementRene M. Kern Practice Professor at Wharton School (2019-present)Senior Global Fellow at Lauder Institute (2019-present)Bloomberg Opinion Columnist & Financial Times Contributing EditorCEO & Co-Chief Investment Officer of PIMCO (2007-2014) - Grew assets from under $1T to $2TCEO & President of Harvard Management Company (2005-2007) - Managed world's largest university endowment ($25.9B-$34.9B)Deputy Director at International Monetary Fund (1995-1997, 15 years total 1983-1998)Chair of President Obama's Global Development Council (2012-2017)Board Member: Barclays (Major UK bank)Board Member: Under Armour (Global sports apparel)Board Member: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)Vice Chair: Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceChair: Microsoft Investment Advisory Committee (2007-2022) Co-Chair: "Dear World, Yours Cambridge" Capital Campaign (Cambridge's largest fundraising campaign)Chairman: Cambridge Union Board of Trustees (World's oldest debating society)Chair: Colleges Fund CommitteeFounder: El-Erian Institute for Human Behavior and Economic PolicyNew York Times Bestselling Author - "When Markets Collide" (FT/Goldman Sachs Business Book of Year 2008) & "The Only Game in Town"Creator of "New Normal" Economic Framework - Post-2008 crisis conceptForeign Policy "Top 100 Global Thinkers" (Four consecutive years)Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book Award Judge (2014-present)Top LinkedIn Influencer (2016 #1, 2017 #3)First-Class Honours BA Economics, Cambridge University (Queens' College, 1980)M.Phil. Economics, Oxford University (1983)D.Phil. Economics, Oxford University (1985)---WHY? COFFEE'S ON ME, DAVID QUAN 权丁文 TL;DR: To process my emotions after a grueling campaign for President of The Cambridge Union, I reflected upon the influences of my late Grandfather and wrote him a letter: www.coffeesonmedavidquan.com. Drawing inspiration from him, I hope to learn more from others through genuine discussions – giving listeners heartfelt conversations filled with authentic insights, and giving guests legacy-worthy interviews to treasure. After completing over 100 interviews and reaching more than 20,000 listeners in Season 1, I now return with deep gratitude and renewed enthusiasm! And the best part for guests? Coffee’s on Me, David Quan 权丁文
#Ready4Freddie! Freddie Bishop (Cambridge Union Speakers' Officer Candidate & Events, St Albans Council House → Cambridge, Single Mother Family, Student Carer, Library Devotee, HisPol Newnham, Social Justice Advocate, Emergency Debater | Coffee's
☕'s on Me, David Quan 权丁文 Cambridge Union Election Special Series: Freddie Bishop - Speakers' Officer CandidateEpisode 106 of #CoffeesOnMeDavidQuan: Freddie Bishop is a first-year undergraduate reading History & Politics at Newnham College. Raised by a single mother in a Council house in St Albans, her journey to Cambridge has been one reliant on persevering past numerous challenges with the help of a fantastic support system. Her journey has made her see the importance of outreach and education pushing her to become a CAMbassador. Whilst attending an all girls state secondary & sixth form, she developed a passion for debating and politics through helping run STAGS Talks; a politics and debate group open to all year groups. This led her to secure best Position paper for her school at Mulberry MUN whilst also being Head of Yearbook Committee, part of the Student Council, a Learning Ambassador, and part of the Talented and Gifted scheme for performance in History.Whilst at the Union she has been Senior Speakers Co-ordinator in Easter ‘25 securing Dr Ilan Pappe, Dr Mary L. Trump, and a few more that did not make the term card. She is currently a Speakers Co-ordinator for Michaelmas ‘25 and an Events Manager (you may notice her in the header image of Charlie Kirk’s Spectator article). She is also a Junior Editor on the Cambridge Journal of Political Affairs, the Social Media Manager for Newnham Ents Instagram, an voracious book worm with a passion for social justice, a two time Emergency Debate paper speaker, and an avid floor speech giver. In running to be Speakers’ Officer for Lent Term 2026, she aims to make the Term card packed full of things Union members love whilst also delivering new ideas and focuses.Promising society collaborations, constructive dialogue that challenges problematic viewpoints with proven facts and ensuring that members feel comfortable to express their views at high profile events without fear of harassment through preventative measures, speakers from across the political spectrum and outside of the West, a bi-weekly feedback & suggestion forms to enable members to have their say, live performances and workshops, Head to Heads, and guaranteeing that STEM students also have a chance to hear from and network with innovators in their fields. She hopes to bring new faces to the Union by putting on events that make people want to purchase a membership card or finally use it, whilst also satisfying current Members."An amazing after midnight ‘Coffee’s on Me, David Quan 权丁文‘ Podcast with juice, a fun end to an extremely eventful day with David having interviewed Cambridge Chancellor Dr Mohamed El-Erian earlier at the Union. David was extremely welcoming and friendly whilst also asking some hard-hitting questions regarding my aims, political sympathies, and giving me a few difficult questions in an attempt to challenge my ability to remain neutral/diplomatic. We explored my journey from council house to Cambridge and how my amazing support system gave me the confidence to apply and find my place in the Cambridge Union.” - Freddie #Ready4Freddie---WHY? COFFEE'S ON ME, DAVID QUAN 权丁文 TL;DR: To process my emotions after a grueling campaign for President of The Cambridge Union, I reflected upon the influences of my late Grandfather and wrote him a letter: www.coffeesonmedavidquan.com. Drawing inspiration from him, I hope to learn more from others through genuine discussions – giving listeners heartfelt conversations filled with authentic insights, and giving guests legacy-worthy interviews to treasure. After completing over 100 interviews and reaching more than 20,000 listeners in Season 1, I now return with deep gratitude and renewed enthusiasm! And the best part for guests? Coffee’s on Me, David Quan 权丁文