Joshua Manley

Health Hacker, Scientist, Teacher . . . Funman

Hi, I'm Josh. I run a science tutoring and consulting business called Manley Tutoring, focusing on non-traditional methods of learning. I consult with a healthtech company called SenseHealth where my responsibility is to design text message interventions for at-risk populations to improve their health and I speak about the importance of paying attention, living healthier, and learning 2.0. I've appeared on Ted.com, The New York Times, and Quantified-Self and I've spoken in Beijing about my unconventional ideas and the future of health improvement. I have a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and publications in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, The American Journal of Renal Physiology and PLOS One.

I was drawn into fun from my association with Richard at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and from the experiences I had in my own businesses. I'm a fun guy, and bringing that fun to my work was instantly appealing. Education has become my vocation, and I've found that fun is an incredibly powerful method to improve my teaching – and learning.

[Founder's Note: Josh is the only one who supplied a torso shot instead of a full length photo – ironically, he's by far the most fit of the bunch. He lives on his bike on his constant tours of New York city. It is a very nice shot. I particularly love the stairs in the background – urban cool. Just because he's the youngest Funman doesn't mean we resent his good looks and vitality – far from it! Our resentment is because he has a TED video.]

Desmond Rutherford, M.Ed.

Learner, Educator, Trainer, Funman

I’m a learner and an educator. I live for the moment people light up when an idea pops and the change begins. All learning is about change. I’m passionate about helping people grow and transforming themselves. I have spent my life learning and inspiring people to do what drives them.

I've also worked in situations that border on demoralizing – or that go right on past and head for despair. Like many, when the economy took a dive, so did my self-esteem and opportunity. I went from being a VP of a college to an entry level wage slave, but I was still doing what I love: training! I learned to recreate my environment and make it fun, despite the obstacles. I learned to kick ass and create great things, even in a situation that did not support it. When you have fun doing what you love, you grow, you change, and you affect your environment.

I earned degrees in creative writing (B.A.) and education and instructional technologies (M.Ed.) from San Francisco State University. I’ve created and delivered training in software, healthcare, adult education, manufacturing, and the utility industry. I believe in engaging people in a learner-centered environment. When we're given the tools to construct our own learning, it makes a far greater impact. For me, it’s not so much about teaching as it is about providing a place to learn and grow outwards from what is most important to us. I can’t tell you how to learn or what to learn, but I can help you see how serious fun can take you to the place you belong. I'm thrilled to work with my colleagues to make this happen. I am part of the Funshop team because my vocation is to teach and inspire – and to have fun every step of the way!

[Founder's Note: Desmond's Bio is the only one without a hyperlink, and that is so old school! We decided that he needed a this-century animation for his pic to compensate (you may have missed it, it only happens twice), though I was tempted to just use his facing-away pic. . But that would have emphasized his funk over the fact that Josh has a TED video.]