The Social Change Diaries

ตอน

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  Glen Galaich from Stupski Foundation on Breaking Fake Rules 25.08.2026 43นาที

  In this episode of the Social Change Diaries podcast, Glen Galaich, CEO of Stupski Foundation challenges us to reimagine philanthropy's role in protecting our democracy by breaking the fake rules that preserve a system, but not the people it was designed to serve. Glen shares details of Stupski's spend-down, what he and his team envision for philanthropy, and all of the ways fake rules are getting in the way of population level social change. 
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  Richard Tate, President and CEO of The California Wellness Foundation on Building the Power to Be Well 18.08.2026 43นาที

  Righting and Writing History: Episode 8, Vanessa is joined by Richard Tate, President and CEO of The California Wellness Foundation. Together, they explore why philanthropy must mobilize more than money, the role of voice, influence, and community power in advancing social change, and what it means to build the power to be well. They also discuss the importance of creating space not only to address urgent needs, but to imagine and build what comes next.
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  Angelique Power, President & CEO of The Skillman Foundation on Foundations as the Connective Tissue 11.08.2026 32นาที

  Righting and Writing History: On Episode 7, Vanessa is joined by Angelique Power, President & CEO of The Skillman Foundation. Together they discuss the four pillars of community change, the role of foundations to serve as connective tissue for the future-building youth who are driving change in Detroit, why public schools should be at the center of policy change, and the strength that comes from Detroit's deeply loyal communities to fight for a better future.   
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  Jen Ford Reedy of Bush Foundation on New Philanthropic Narratives 04.08.2026 49นาที

  Righting and Writing History: Episode 6 Vanessa is joined by Jen Ford Reedy, President of the Bush Foundation. In conversation, they explore the importance of long-term thinking, strategic communications understood as programs work, and the way that multiple narratives enrich our understanding of our democracy.
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  Stephen Heintz of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund on A Fourth Democratic Founding, for Our Country's Future 28.07.2026 49นาที

  What can philanthropy do to bolster the power of people to participate in our government for the people and by the people? What role has the information environment played in the deterioration of our democratic guardrails? What can we learn from periods like this before, or elsewhere, to map out how we can build a stronger democracy and economy that simultaneously advances human well-being?  This conversation is essential listening for anyone in the nonprofit sector or devoted to advancing philanthropic work and our civil society. In this episode, Vanessa is joined by Stephen Heintz, former President of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and originator of the term "acupuncture philanthropy." Together, they discuss why communications work is the pathway to advance nonprofit impact and strengthen our democracy and why this is the moment for organizations to take action. They delve into the need for a fourth founding of our democracy, what old assumptions we need to let go of, and why each of us should consider ourselves a founder of this future democracy.
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  Keenya Lambert from Chicago Foundation for Women on Movement Building is Long Term 21.07.2026 48นาที

  Righting and Writing History: Episode 4, Vanessa is joined by Keenya Lambert, President and CEO at the Chicago Foundation for Women. Together they explore the incredible change that has been advanced to this moment through our democratic history, and what it will take to build the infrastructure for lasting change for women and gender expansive people.  
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  Alesha Washington from Seattle Foundation on The Once-in-a-lifetime Opportunity for Foundations 14.07.2026 42นาที

  In this episode, Vanessa is joined by Alesha Washington, President & CEO of the Seattle Foundation. At the foundation, Alesha leads efforts to inspire transformative philanthropy with the objective of fostering a joyful region of shared prosperity, belonging, and justice. With her leadership, the foundation has set a refreshed strategic direction, elevated its positioning on key issues like affordable housing, transit, and childcare access, and strengthened its operations for greater community impact. In this wide-ranging conversation, they discuss what community foundation work can do when it fixes joy as an objective, the immense opportunity that foundations have in this moment of profound change for the social sector, and the value of taking learnings from one region and considering how they might play out in a new place.
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  Kevin Walker from Northwest Area Foundation, on Philanthropy's Commitment to Democracy 07.07.2026 52นาที

  In this discussion, Vanessa sits down with Kevin Walker, President of Northwest Area Foundation, who leads efforts to advance racial, social, and economic justice across eight states and 76 Native nations, including a longstanding commitment to Native-led organizations. Their conversation explores lessons learned in periods of crisis, and how foundations can contribute to a strong democracy. Examining the importance of foundations supporting grantee partners as a bulwark protecting the society we value, they talk about how the past must inform our present to build a durable and more equitable future.
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  Supriya Lopez Pillai from Libra Foundation, on Philanthropy's Role in Democracy 30.06.2026 33นาที

  Vanessa kicks off season seven with Supriya Lopez Pillai, President of the Libra Foundation. As a philanthropic leader with nearly three decades in social movements and 20 years in institutional philanthropy, Supriya contributes to an inspiring discussion about how philanthropic leaders can meet the challenges we face today. Their conversation touches on the importance of reflection on the origins of wealth that is being deployed through philanthropic organizations, and the stories we tell ourselves about how it was generated. They discuss living and practicing the kind of social systems we want to exist in the future, remembering that our work today is one piece in a long line of people fighting for a better world.
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  Vanessa Wakeman & Camaro West do a Communications Pulse Check 19.12.2025 43นาที

  In our final episode for season 6 of the Social Change Diaries Podcast, Communications Strategist and Wakeman Agency CEO, Vanessa Wakeman sits in the interviewee chair, sharing her latest insights. Joined by Camaro West, Executive Director of Peace is Loud, a nonprofit that uses the power of storytelling to advance gender justice, Vanessa dives into how nonprofits can surface narratives to prompt transformative social change. Together, they explore why it is essential to ask the question of who should be telling the story. Touching on funding dynamics, narrative resilience, and the needs present in our changing media and information ecosystem, this conversation is sure to get you thinking strategically about communications for your nonprofit in the new year and beyond.  See more information about this episode on our website.
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  Courtney Lewis from Institute for Nonprofit News, on Redefining Narrative Power 19.12.2025 35นาที

  Listen in for a fantastic conversation on the growing field of nonprofit news and how this model transforms how stories are told, and information is shared in our society. In this episode of the Social Change Diaries podcast, Vanessa is joined by Courtney Lewis, Chief of Growth Programs at the Institute for Nonprofit News, an organization that works with over 500 nonprofit news organizations committed to public service. Together, they discuss why nonprofit newsrooms are different, how they center the stories and information audiences need, and why even conventional newsrooms are having to grapple with how to engage people on a more human level.   More information about this episode on our website
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  Anat Shenker-Osorio, Founder of ASO Communications, on Bringing Narratives to Life 10.12.2025 35นาที

  In our most recent episode, Vanessa dives into how to bring narratives to life, with our guest Anat Shenker-Osorio, Principal and Founder of ASO Communications. Their conversation examines how social change communicators can approach language, specifically when it is contested, and how to increase impact for meaningful and transformative change on social issues. See this episode on our website.
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  Amanda Zamora, Founder & Principal of Agencia Media, On The Power of Story 03.12.2025 42นาที

  The Social Change Diaries podcast does it again—bringing you crucial conversations about what's driving today's social change communications landscape. In this episode, Vanessa is joined by Amanda Zamora, Founder & Principal of Agencia Media, a consultancy that partners with organizations to drive narrative change and civic engagement, especially with, and for, communities of color. Together, they discuss the role of storytelling by nonprofits and why mainstream media is no longer a gatekeeper in our information ecosystems. Visit this episode's page
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  Bridgit Antoinette Evans, CEO of Pop Culture Collaborative, On Shaping The Narrative 12.11.2025 44นาที

  In this episode of our newly launched Social Change Diaries Podcast, we dive into the question of how social change can use storytelling to change culture through narratives. The discussion features Bridgit Antoinette Evans, CEO of Pop Culture Collaborative, in conversation with Vanessa Wakeman, and explores the power of storytelling to tackle deeply held beliefs, language as a medium of cultural production, and navigating narrative oceans. Read more about this episode and the guest on our website. ↗  
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  Tracie Powell from The Pivot Fund, on Reimagining Story Power 07.11.2025 54นาที

  In another engaging conversation, we tackle the question: What would narrative ecosystems look like if we could totally redesign who participates in crafting the story? In this important conversation, Vanessa is joined by Tracie Powell, CEO and Founder of The Pivot Fund, which works to shift power through equitable journalism funding by investing in independent community-led news organizations. Read more about this episode and the guest on our website ↗  
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  Dr. Safiya U. Noble, on Algorithms as Storytellers 30.10.2025 52นาที

  Our first episode features the conversation between Vanessa and Dr. Safiya U. Noble, author of Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism, as she shares the impact of algorithmic injustice and how it shapes storytelling.
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  NYCLU Executive Director, Donna Lieberman, on Civil Liberties and Our New Normal 17.09.2020 41นาที

  At no point in recent history has civil rights been so loudly at the forefront of everyday life, in multiple ways. The tidal wave of shared trauma ushered in by the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent slew of racially motivated murders presents glaring questions  and implications around civil rights and how this moment can be a springboard for true systemic change. As an expert in policies, laws and all facets of civil rights, Ms. Lieberman discusses the implications of this time period, how it relates to other historical moments in civil rights and the myriad of nuances that comprise this complex, but powerful moment in human history.
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  Global Press Visionary, Cristi Hegranes, on the Need for Consequence Driven Reporting 01.09.2020 53นาที

  In this episode, Global Press Founder, Cristi Hegranes, shines a powerful light on solutions to institutional, ingrained problems that underly today's news media. She outlines key differences between action driven reporting and its more informative, impactful alternative: consequence driven reporting. Learn why trained local journalists, equipped to provide precise narratives that accurately inform listeners, represent a pathway to truly educating people in a non biased way, about important global issues.
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  Behind the Scenes of Corporate Giving: Insights from Salesforce Philanthropy VP, Becky Ferguson 13.08.2020 29นาที

  How nonprofits can successfully and efficiently secure corporate giving is a more important issue than ever before. This conversation with Becky Ferguson, VP of Global Philanthropy for pioneering powerhouse, Salesforce, provides key insights and concrete information for nonprofits to consider when strategizing, securing and sustaining corporate partnerships.
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  Futurist Rohit Talwar on Thinking the Unthinkable and Reframing Positions of Power to Positions of Responsibility 23.07.2020 39นาที

  We kick off our 5th season with Rohit Talwar, the CEO of Fast Future, a UK based research and insights business that specializes in the fields of futures and foresight. In this dialogue, Rohit and Vanessa discuss the implications of the groundbreaking events that have occurred in the first half of 2020. In Rohit's words: "This has been quite a good rehearsal for how we prepare better for the future. Whether it's climate change, collapse of financial markets, radical breakthroughs in science and technology- we should now be more open to those things and more willing to think the unthinkable...Hopefully we broaden our lens, and start moving from talking about people being in positions of power to owning the fact that they're in positions of responsibility, walking the corridors of responsibility, and their real job is to exercise that responsibility to create a fairer, more inclusive, and more sustainable world for all."