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Laura Mam is a Cambodian-American songwriter/singer/guitarist who was born and raised in California’s Bay Area. She was inspired to write original music in college after starting her youtube channel when she began receiving messages from Cambodians around the world about their hopes for the revival of original music and artists in Cambodia. She believes that the reconciliation of the traumas of the past can be found through expression of hope for the future among Cambodians living in both the homeland and the expansive diaspora around the world. Laura’s dreams for music are centered on rebuilding a sense of confidence in the arts among Cambodians and hopes that she can use music as a vehicle for empowerment. Over the past few years, Laura has teamed up with various NGOs and performed for many non profit organizations that contribute to rebuilding Cambodia including Cambodia Living Arts, Cambodian’s Women’s Resource Center, Khmer Health Advocates, Friends of Khmer Culture and is proudly a Rockband Ambassador for internationally acclaimed organization, Friends International. 

Over the past few years, Laura built her reputation playing with the rock band, The Like Me’s, as the lead singer/guitarist/songwriter. The Like Me’s were most known for their music video re-make of Sva Rom Monkiss as well as their original single, Pka Proheam Rik Popreay. After 1 million hits on Youtube and feeling the results of this success, they were able to tour the US, Canada, and Cambodia. Furthermore, The Like Me’s also became the world’s first ChildSafe RockBand and ambassadors for the international NGO working with marginalized urban youth in Cambodia, Friends International. In 2012, Cambodian corporations Cellcard and CTN co-sponsored Laura and The Like Me's for a full music campaign in Cambodia. Today, Laura caters to both Cambodian and American audiences.

In November of 2013, Laura successfully funded her first solo EP, "Meet Me in the Rain", on Kickstarter and took her music to tour in Cambodia, USA, and Canada. This year, Laura is looking to fund her first album, "In Search of Heroes." She has co-written this album with her entire family and worked with producers, Tim Atlas, Jesse Barrera, Dj WishOne and Dj Cutso. With this album, she hopes to spread a message of unity and a call to action and hopes to spread her music in Cambodia using an innovative approach.

Design Matters by Debbie Millman features interviews with designers, artists and cultural leaders, including Lawrence Weiner, Barbara Kruger, Malcolm Gladwell, Eric Kandel, Stefan Sagmeister, John Maeda, Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones, Michael Arad, Milton Glaser, Massimo Vignelli, Paula Scher, Steven Heller, Jonah Lehrer, among others.

In 2011, Design Matters received the People’s Design Award from the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards.

Subscribe to Design Matters for free on iTunes, where new episodes are uploaded weekly: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/design-matters-debbie-millman/id328074695

Morning Ireland is the flagship news and current affairs radio programme of the Irish national broadcaster, RTÉ. Find us at www.rte.ie/morningireland

 Join The Verge team each month as we discuss great works of science fiction, fantasy, and literature chosen for The Verge Book Club.

Rick Steves, best-selling guidebook author and star of public television’s most-watched travel show, also hosts a fun, hour-long, radio talk show "Travel with Rick Steves" featuring lively conversations about travel, cultures, people, and how worldwide travel can broaden our perspective.

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