The Innovator Next Door
The Innovator Next Door is a podcast about outliers think— not just what they build. Hosted by Stanford student Isabella Delbakhsh, these aren’t celebrity founders or household names. They’re students, researchers, investors, and builders who are solving problems that matter.
This isn’t a startup playbook. It’s a window into how ideas are born, how people follow their curiosity, and how you can learn to think that way too. Because conversations about going from 0 to 1 shouldn’t only happen in pitch meetings or Stanford classrooms; they should happen at your dinner table, in your group chats, or with your next door neighbor.
You don’t need to be in Silicon Valley to build something interesting. And you don’t need to go viral to be worth listening to. This podcast is about making ideas feel relatable, accessible, and maybe even surprising. It’s about catching outliers while they’re still in their beta phase.
Isabella sits down with people who are thinking deeply, building intentionally, and in some ways, building the rocket as they are flying it.
How do they spot opportunities others miss? What ideas shape their worldview?What content do they consume, and how do they learn?
If any of those questions are interesting to you, this podcast is for you. And hopefully, we will also answer the question: “So… how did you think of that and what did you do from there."
The Innovator Next Door
Exploring Iranian Studies: A Conversation with Roma Parhad
In this episode, Isabella talks with Stanford University's Iranian Studies Program Associate Director, Roma Parhad, to discuss her inspiration for and experience with working with the Stanford Iranian Studies Program. They delve deeper into topics like advocating for women's rights, highlighting Iranian culture within context, and celebrating progress while also recognizing pitfalls in Iranian society. Tune in!