Blue Sky

Nearly 45 years ago, Billy Starr lost his mother, an uncle, and a cousin, all to cancer.  Looking for a purpose and outlet for his grief, he and a small circle of friends decided to take a long bike ride across most of the state of Massachusetts, while raising money for cancer research.  That first “event,” in 1980, raised just over $10,000.   But that was just beginning, and through the years since, Billy has stayed with this idea, growing it into the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), which is now the country’s largest sports fundraiser by far, with proceeds going to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  The money raised in this summer’s 2024 edition will put the PMC past the $1 billion mark in total dollars raised – an incredible accomplishment.  

In this Blue Sky episode, Billy shares reflections on his motivation and how working on the PMC “revealed skills” he didn’t realize he had. You’ll also learn more about this event – the riders, the volunteers, and funders – who make it so special for everyone involved.  Billy Starr approaches his work with infectious drive and optimism and this all comes through in his conversation with Bill. 

Chapters:

01:18 The History of Athletic Fundraising  
The discussion shifts to the evolution of athletic fundraising events like runathons, walkathons, and bikeathons, highlighting the origin and growth of these events and their impact on charitable causes. 

02:47 Pan-Mass Challenge Origins 
The focus is on the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC), its founder Billy Starr, and the motivation behind starting this bikeathon for cancer research, tracing back to the personal losses that inspired the event’s creation. 

04:29 Billy Starr’s Journey and Early PMC Years 
Billy Starr shares insights into his early experiences with fundraising for cancer research, the challenges faced during the initial PMC events, and the gradual growth of the event over the years. 

15:22 PMC Fundraising Milestones 
The significant fundraising achievements of the PMC, including the journey towards raising $1 billion for Dana Farber, are highlighted, showcasing the impact of collective efforts over the years. 

21:11 Partnership with Dana Farber 
The longstanding relationship between the PMC and Dana Farber, the significance of supporting cancer research and treatment, and the impact of fundraising efforts on advancing medical programs are discussed, highlighting the mutual benefits of the collaboration. 

29:01 Creating Connections with Families at Dana Farber 
Discover how the Pan Mass Challenge introduces families to the event and riders, showing support and solidarity with families undergoing cancer treatment at Dana Farber. 

34:05 Emotional Impact at Mile 85 
Experience the emotional power of Mile 85 at the Pan Mass Challenge, where images of children fighting cancer serve as a poignant reminder of the cause and the progress made in cancer research. 

46:11 Unity and Good Intentions at PMC 
Explore the sense of unity and shared purpose at the Pan Mass Challenge. 

Squash – the game, not the vegetable – has long been seen as a “country club” sport.  But Barrett Takesian is on a mission to transform the sport’s reputation while building community in his adopted hometown of Portland, Maine.  For the past 11 years, Barrett has worked to create and build Portland Community Squash, a unique gathering place for people of all ages, backgrounds, and income levels.  While squash is in the organization’s name, and the sport at the center of much of its activity, Portland Community Squash (PCS) includes numerous non-school hours programs, as well as opportunities for adults and families to gather, share, and learn about each other while building a stronger community.  As Portland’s demographics continue to change (PCS now has members from 27 different countries with 17 different native languages) Barrett’s organization continues to meet their constituents’ needs and is not only thriving, but in the process of starting new construction to increase both in physical size and community impact. 

Daniel Stone explains that today’s politically-polarized environment began taking shape way back in the 1980’s.  Today, he says, we have an increase in what’s been described as “affective biases,” in which people move from disagreeing with the ideas of another, to disliking the person themselves, for having these beliefs.  It’s a dangerous trend, he believes, and among other things, Daniel Stone recommends an “Anti-Polarization Manhattan Project,” and idea that many Blue Sky listeners might want to get behind! 

Links:

Order Daniel's book, Undue Hate

One of our most popular episodes of 2023 is back, with this encore presentation, just in time for Earth Day! 

Dan Reicher’s interest in and advocacy for environmental protection and clean energy began when he was a child and has continued throughout his life.  In addition to teaching at Stanford University, has served three U.S. presidents, testified before the U.S. Congress more than 50 times, led the launch of Google’s pathbreaking climate and clean energy work, oversaw a $1.2 billion annual clean energy R&D budget as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy, and co-founded the nation’s first investment firm focused exclusively on renewable energy project finance. In this Blue Sky episode, Dan provides his take on potential climate change solutions; from hydro, solar, wind, and nuclear power, to conservation and reforestation.  He explains that while he’s realistic about the massive amount of work and resources that will be required to solve the climate crisis, he’s optimistic about our ability to get it done. 

Marko Cheseto left his home in Kenya to travel all the way to, of all places, Anchorage, Alaska, where he attended college on a track and field scholarship.  A gifted runner, he achieved many accolades before experiencing a tragedy that resulted in the amputation of both of his legs, below his knees.  He says that as he lay in his hospital bed, he thought, “it was my feet that brought me to America, and now I’ve lost my feet.”  In this Blue Sky episode, Marko tells the remarkable story of how he turned his life around in that same bed, deciding that rather than giving up, he’d spend the rest of his life serving as an example and inspiring others.  And in the years since his amputation surgery he has done just that, and he currently holds the record for the fastest marathon ever by a double amputee, with a time 2:35:55 in the 2021 New York City Marathon! 

Nathalie Laidler-Kylander has a long and distinguished career working in the non-profit, social entrepreneurship and international development sectors.  Since 2021 she has been CEO of Trickle Up, an organization that partners with women in extreme poverty to build economic opportunity and drive inclusion.  On this Blue Sky episode, Nathalie describes the remarkable work of Trickle Up while sharing her optimism for the future of women around the world and her infectious enthusiasm about the power of social entrepreneurship and value and impact of international philanthropic efforts. 

This episode is a master class on sticking with it, no matter what. From our friend Dan Harris on the Ten Percent Happier podcast, we’re joined by Bryan Stevenson, who is a public interest lawyer who has dedicated his career to helping the poor, the incarcerated, and the condemned. He is the author of the bestselling memoir “Just Mercy,” which was made into a feature film, and the subject of an HBO documentary, “True Justice.” In this episode they talk about: 

• Bryan’s “non-negotiables,” including exercise, music, and mindfulness 

• The necessity of “proximity” 

• How he manages fear, anger, and hatred 

• How he cultivates hope and faith in the face of overwhelming odds 

More on the Ten Percent Happier podcast:  

A skeptical journalist, Dan Harris had a panic attack on live TV that sent him on a journey that led him to try something he otherwise wouldn't have considered: meditation. He went on to write the best-selling book, 10% Happier. The show features interviews with top scientists, celebrities and experts in the field of mindfulness. And Dan's approach is seemingly modest, but secretly radical: happiness is a skill you can train, just like working your bicep in the gym.  

Listen to more Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris 

One of our most popular – and powerful episodes of 2023 is back, with this encore presentation. 

In the Blue Sky conversation, John Valverde describes the impactful work of the organization he leads, YouthBuild USA,  and also shares his own inspiring story of persevering through 16 years in prison to found two non-profits and now lead a third; YouthBuild USA.  John explains how he brings his own lived experience to his leadership role of an organization that helps young people at their own crossroads change the trajectory of their life. 

Learn More:

https://youthbuild.org

Gill Hasson has a wide range of interests and areas of study, exemplified by the fact that she has authored thirty-six different books.  In this Blue Sky episode, she shares her thoughts and advice on everything from the pros and cons of social media, to how to effectively parent at a time when so many kids are struggling, and how we can better deal with people we find to be difficult. (A preview – she says they’re not going to change so this challenge is on us!)

For the 50th episode of Blue Sky, Bill is joined by someone who has completed more than 400 of them.  Bestselling author and TV/podcast host Kelly Corrigan describes to Bill the many things she’s learned in her life and career about optimism and how we all can benefit from life’s setbacks to become better people and forge stronger relationships.  Kelly reflects on lessons she learned from her parents and how facing her own cancer diagnosis and battle with the disease left her with a greater sense of empathy for others with similar hardships.  She also explains why she thinks intellectual humility is a key ingredient for an optimistic outlook and also that “there’s not feeling as good as being useful to someone.”

Links:

Alison Jones Webb has spent her career studying and working in the public health sector.  Several years ago, a combination of the opioid crisis and a realization that her own extended family had battled various substance use disorders, she decided to turn her attention here and began deeper work into addiction and recovery.  One outgrowth of these efforts is her book,Recovery Allies: How to Support Addiction Recovery and Build Recovery-Friendly Communities. On this Blue Sky episode, Alison shares surprising and encouraging insights into addiction recovery – which she says is the norm, not the exception – and explains the vital role we can all play by being allies to people battling this difficult disease.  

In this episode, Bert describes how he and his brother grew from a challenging upbringing to create Life is Good, the original positive outlook brand.  He explains why he believes that optimism is a superpower and suggests that in all of history, there’s never been a successful pessimist.

Links:

Browse Life Is Good here: https://www.lifeisgood.com/

Chris Anderson was inspired by the growth of TED once they expanded from being simply a conference company to adding the concept of offering their talks free to the world over the internet.   He’s now calling on us all to “reclaim the internet” and use it as a force for spreading less hate and division and more kindness and generosity.  His new book, Infectious Generosity, lays out clearly the reasons why generosity is good for the world – as well as for us as individuals – then details a plan by which this movement can spread virally.  Chris’s views on these subjects are aligned perfectly with the work of The Optimism institute and he shares them with great enthusiasm in this uplifting and inspiring episode of Blue Sky.

Links:

Dr. Kenneth (Ken) Harris is an experienced practitioner of holistic medicine and author of the book, Synchronicity.  In this Blue Sky conversation, Ken describes the subtle but important difference he sees between coincidence and synchronicity and tells why he thinks it’s important for all of us to connect actively with others, leaving ourselves open to the mysterious and positive connections that can be made between people.  As someone who was once clinically dead following a heart attack and had an “out of body” experience, Ken describes his appreciation for life and how fleeting our time here is.  His enthusiasm and positivity are infectious and the ideas and anecdotes he shares here are thought-provoking and uplifting.

Links:

Order Dr. Ken's book, Synchronicity

When Ilze Thielmann learned of the steady stream of refugees and asylum seekers entering New York City, she felt compelled to get involved and help.  This led her to connect with, volunteer for, and ultimately take over leadership of an organization called Team TLC.  Here, Ilze and her colleagues greet asylum seekers – many of whom have been sent to New York from the state of Texas – and help them find food, clothing, and shelter.  The organization has grown to now have more than 1,400 names on its active roster of volunteers and they have assisted more than 60,000 asylum seekers as they arrived at New York’s Port Authority.  Over time, the organization expanded to include “The Little Shop of Kindness,” designed to be a store loaded with clothing and accessories offered free of charge to immigrant customers.  And today, Team TLC is also offering legal and other professional services to their constituents.  The story that Ilze tells in this Blue Sky conversation is fascinating and her optimistic outlook and desire to serve others is an inspiration. 

Links:

Learn more about Team TLC: https://www.ttlcnyc.org

The life of Jonathan Conyers is full of junctures where it appears he’s not going to make it.  Both of his parents battled addiction to crack cocaine, yet somehow managed to instill in their son a desire to be educated and advance in the world.  As he grows, Jonathan is surrounded by teachers and mentors who take special interest in him and encourage him to reach high, including “Dico,” his transgender debate coach, whose support ultimately alters the trajectory of his life – and Jonathan changes Dico’s in return.  In this Blue Sky conversation, Jonathan details some of the highlights of his remarkable memoir, his reasons for writing it, and what continues to motivate him today.

KM DiColandrea says he works with young people because he can’t imagine doing anything else.  In high school, he developed a love for speech and debate which has led to a passion for teaching and coaching young people to develop these skills.  We first met KM DiColandrea, aka “DiCo,” in our Blue Sky episode with Jonathan Conyers.  There, we heard of him helping turn around Jonathan’s life at Frederick Douglass High School.  With Jonathan’s help, DiCo went on to co-found the Brooklyn Debate League in 2019 and is currently developing speech and debate opportunities for kids throughout greater New York and across the country.  In this episode he describes why he thinks speech and debate programs are so good for developing young people and how he hopes that someday they will be included in schools’ core curriculum.

Sara Guillermo’s family immigrated to the United States when she was a small child.  She grew up with an appreciation for this country and a desire to serve that expressed itself as early as the 1st grade, when she ran to be her “classroom organizer.”  From there, she has held several leadership positions and now serves as the CEO of IGNITE, an organization dedicated to train girls and young women with the skills they need to understand how their government works and arm them with the skills they need to actively participate, up to and including running for office.  At a time when so many of us are disillusioned with government and politics, the enthusiasm that Sara brings to her work, and the impressive results that IGNITE has had, is sure to inspire.

Links:

Learn more about IGNITE: https://ignitenational.org/

The family of Anh Vu Sawyer were among the small number of South Vietnamese who successfully fled Saigon in the final days and hours of the Vietnam War.  After describing this harrowing ordeal, Anh explains how these events inspired her to lead a life of inspiring service and social entrepreneurship here in the United States. 

In the late 1990’s, John Wood was living a great life.  As a senior executive at Microsoft, his job took him to exotic places and he was experiencing an ideal post-MBA experience.  His life would forever change on a getaway vacation in Nepal, when he had an experience that led him to quit his job and become a social entrepreneur.  Since then, John Wood has created two successful non-profits and has written several books, includingLeaving Microsoft to Change the World.  In this Blue Sky episode, John explains the business discipline and drive that he brings to his work, which he says he simply could not do if he weren’t an optimist.

Links:

David Bornstein has a long history in journalism and founded the Solutions Journalism Network out of his belief that the hard work that people all over the world do to solve tough problems is history’s most under-reported story.  His organization trains journalists around the country on how to pursue and write stories not just about our problems, but also on the encouraging solutions emerging to solve them.  David’s vision is both logical and inspiring, and his efforts are paying off with a growing network of journalists and outlets embracing his philosophy and practice.

Matt Ridley’s seminal book, The Rational Optimist, has inspired many since its publication in 2010 and greatly influenced the creation of The Optimism Institute.  In this far-ranging discussion, Matt will describe an early education that he said was steeped in pessimism but how later in life he found that much of what he’d been taught was simply not true.  This led him to set on a nearly evangelical quest to spread the word that interaction and trade between people and nations, including the free exchange of ideas, will continue to set us on an inexorable path towards increasing prosperity.

Links:

Order Matt's book The Rational Optimist

In her new book, The Power of a Few Kind Words, author Tracey Gates tells the story of how she decided to write a handwritten note of appreciation to someone every day, for an entire year.  365 letters later, she’s concluded that telling people how much you appreciate them can do as much for your own state of mind as it does for the recipients, and she’s encouraging her readers to take up the practice themselves.  While she doesn’t expect anyone else to do this every day, just starting the practice of writing to people and letting them know you were thinking about them and are thankful that they are in your life will do wonders for your mindset, giving feelings of warmth, hope, and optimism.

Links:

Order Tracey's bookThe Power of a Few Kind Words

Ritah Kabanyoro knows what it’s like to go to bed hungry.  Growing up in a household of 20 people, she was used to receiving just one meal a day, until fainting spells alerted others to the malnutrition she was suffering.  After being placed in a private school – and improving her diet, she thrived and today leads Uganda’s chapter of Action Against Hunger.  Ritah’s home country is the largest recipient of refugees in all of Africa.  They come primarily for Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and when they arrive in Uganda, they are welcomed with relief programs up to and including the gift of land and instruction of farming techniques.  The Ugandan government, working with agencies like Ritah's, is striving to help these refugees become self-sufficient, contributing members of their society.  Ritah Kabanyoro’s work is inspiring and her optimistic take on the future of her country is infectious.

Kevin Adler grew up with a beloved uncle, Mark, who never forgot to send him a Hallmark card on his birthday.  Over time, Kevin learned that his uncle was unhoused and suffering from schizophrenia.  When Mark died at the age of 50, Kevin decided that working to solve the crisis of homelessness would be his life’s work.  The experience of having a close relative in this predicament made him realize that “everybody is somebody’s somebody,” and deserving of our compassion.  He founded Miracle Messages, a nonprofit working to tell the stories of individuals who are unhoused, in hopes of connecting and reuniting them with estranged friends and family.  To date, they have facilitated more than 800 people and have created a phone buddy system where volunteers communicate weekly with their assigned partner, building relationships where none existed before. Kevin Adler tells this story in his new book, When We Walk By, and shares many of these stories in this episode, while also describing his optimistic views on basic income and affordable housing programs.

Links:

Dr. Howard Koh’s story is inspiring. His immigrant parents raised him to be grateful for and contribute to their adopted country.  And he has certainly made his contributions, serving first as a practicing oncologist, then moving into the field of public health.  After treating too many patients who were dying from cancers caused by tobacco use, Howard Koh turned his attention to tobacco cessation, and his determined efforts there resulted in great success.  After serving in the Massachusetts state government, Dr. Koh was named as Assistant Secretary for Health for HHS in the Obama administration, and in that role found himself in the middle of the White House’s efforts to overhaul the US healthcare system, as well as other ambitious initiatives.  Today, Howard teaches and researches at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and is turning much of his considerable talent, energy, and optimistic mindset towards impacting another vexing challenge in our society, homelessness.  In this episode, he discusses this work, as well as his research and writing on the role of spirituality in our well-being and his passion for music and baseball.  

Adam Mastroianni says he likes to “study how people perceive and misperceive their social worlds, from the person sitting across the table to the whole country buzzing around them.” In this Blue Sky conversation, Dr. Mastroianni describes research he and a colleague conducted that demonstrates that human beings falsely assume that the world used to be better, and that we continue to decline in terms of moral standards and civil behavior.  This cognitive “bug” he has detected can lead us to develop a more pessimistic view of the world and also leaves us more susceptible to believe in the message of autocrats who promise to take us back to a time when the world – and people – were somehow better than they are today.  Adam’s insights are fascinating, as are the techniques he uses in his research, and he explains his findings and observations with great wit and wisdom.

LaTosha Brown has been described by many as a “force of nature,” and from the first seconds of this Blue Sky episode, you will understand why.  Raised in Selma, Alabama she grew up surrounded by family members who were at the center of the civil rights movement in the United States.  Being close to grandparents who spent much of their adult lives unable to vote led her to appreciate this franchise and their example continues to inspire her “get out the vote” work today. LaTosha describes being raised by strong women and not experiencing overt sexism until she ran for office in Alabama, but instead of letting this get her down, she channeled these experiences into the creation of the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium. LaTosha Brown also happens to be a talented singer and performer, and she shares this gift with us here as well.

Dr. Anita Nowak has made the study of empathy her life’s work and in this Blue Sky conversation she provides her definition of the term and gives numerous examples of the value of empathy in both our personal and work lives.  As someone who teaches, consults, podcasts, and writes about this subject, Anita discusses empathy with persuasive passion and just might change the way you think about how you’d like to move through the world and what ripples you’d like to create as you go.  She also makes the case that living with empathy will actually improve your own quality of life at the same time you’re improving the wellbeing of those around you.

Links:

Margo Walsh is an entrepreneur who created MaineWorks, a certified B-Corp that helps people with substance use disorder and/or criminal records find employment in the construction sector.  Her company finds and screens potential employees and through the non-profit she founded with her sister, sets them up for success by making sure that their basic needs for getting back to work are met (e.g., proper clothing, boots, transportation, etc.).  

MaineWorks has expanded to other states in New England and provides a model for other companies in other parts of the country to emulate.  Her work has been widely recognized and earned several awards and in this episode she’ll describe how she attended a State of the Union address as a senator’s guest!

Sean Legister was raised by a strong single mom who put a premium on his education and set him up for success. After completing his degree and playing two sports at a small liberal arts college, he entered the competitive world of Wall Street and continued to thrive. While building his own career, Sean consistently goes above and beyond to lift others up. 

In this episode, Sean describes that while he didn’t benefit from having a father in his life, between his mother and other mentors he’s actively sought out, he continues to succeed, and his drive for continuous self-improvement led him to the creation of his popular “Monday Morning Lift” newsletter.

Links:

Today’s Blue Sky guest tells her story from the coast of Maine, but the work she’s doing was inspired by her upbringing in Pennsylvania and has ramifications for the future of coastal communities around the world. 

Briana Warner is the CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms and has dedicated her life to doing well by doing good. She is passionate about her adopted home state of Maine and working with partner farmers to help create a more resilient and thriving coast. She and her team have forged a new path for seaweed aquaculture in the US by working with fishermen to grow kelp as a climate change adaptation strategy—and building national demand for that kelp.  

In this episode, Briana explains how her company developed a win-win business model with the lobster industry, why Kelp farming helps mitigate climate change, and the many health reasons to add kelp products to your diet.  

Links:

The life of Jonathan Conyers is full of junctures where it appears he’s not going to make it.  Both of his parents battled addiction to crack cocaine, yet somehow managed to instill in their son a desire to be educated and advance in the world.  As he grows, Jonathan is surrounded by teachers and mentors who take special interest in him and encourage him to reach high, including “Dico,” his transgender debate coach, whose support ultimately alters the trajectory of his life – and Jonathan changes Dico’s in return.  In this Blue Sky conversation, Jonathan details some of the highlights of his remarkable memoir, his reasons for writing it, and what continues to motivate him today.

Links:

Dr. Robert Soiffer took an interest in medicine at an early age when he played a physician in his first-grade play.  Today, he is a leading physician, researcher, and teacher at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a world leader in oncology.  In this episode, Dr. Soiffer describes the incredible pace of change in the field of cancer research and treatment and the detection tools and cures that are right around the corner.   He also reflects on how he maintains a positive and optimistic outlook despite the many times he’s forced to deliver terrible news to patients and families.  While he tries hard not to bring these tough times home with him, he also stresses the importance of keeping his humanity and treating his patients and their families as people, not just statistics.

Following a challenging childhood and the tragic death of her father, Kathryn Goetzke decided that the best way to tackle depression and despair is to create reasons for hope.  After studying the issue deeply with experts in psychology, she determined that hope was both teachable and measurable and has made it her life’s work to spread this message.   In 2022, she published The Biggest Little Book About Hope,and continues to be a global mental health ambassador. Kathryn was recently appointed to represent the World Federation for Mental Health at the United Nations and in this Blue Sky episode she describes how she came to be so passionate about this work and why she remains so committed to the cause of spreading the good news about the powerful effects of maintaining a hopeful attitude.

Elizabeth Cousens grew up with an insatiable curiosity about world events.  This early interest has led to a remarkable career of service, including significant roles with the United Nations, both in the New York headquarters and areas of armed conflict like Bosnia and Haiti.  At the United Nations Foundation, she oversees the organization that was formed thanks to Ted Turner’s $1 billion contribution and that today works alongside the United Nations “to collaborate for lasting change and innovate to address humanity's greatest challenges.”  In this episode, Elizabeth describes specific projects the UNF has taken on, from eradicating malaria to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and shares her view that while the next few years will be “decisive” in our fight against climate change, we have the answers and know what is required to be successful.

Alan Patricof began his career in venture capital before the industry even had that name.  Since 1969, he’s been seeking out and backing talented entrepreneurs with big ideas and earned his reputation as one of the all-time great investors.  While he’s best known for early bets on such successful companies as Apple, Office Depot, Audible, Axios, and many more, he is also a successful investor in film and live theater productions, including Tony Award winners Leopoldstadt and Hamilton. In his 2022 memoir, “No Red Lights,” Alan explains how making the effort to meet new people, staying current on fresh ideas, and approaching the world with an optimistic and trusting frame of mind has led not only to his success, but also to maintaining a youthful mind and healthy body.  After starting his most recent investment firm at the age of 86, he now plans to live to the age of 114, and in this Blue Sky conversation, Alan Patricof explains the disciplined routines and habits he expects will get him there.

When Eddie Ndopu was two years old, his mother was told he wouldn’t likely live past five.  Now in his early thirties, Eddie is an internationally-known and Oxford-educated advocate for the rights of the disabled.  In this interview, he shares how his optimistic single mother instilled in Eddie a love of learning and encouraged him to pursue a “life of the mind.”  Today, Eddie is world-renowned and was hand-selected by the UN Secretary General to be one of 17 people selected as an SDG Advocate.  Reflecting on his new memoir, Eddie describes how he wrote his book, typing with his “one good finger on an iPhone,” and why he hopes this book will inspire others to be more understanding and supportive of people living with disabilities.

Links:

In this wide-ranging conversation, renowned author and professor Steven Pinker describes that while he resists being called an “optimist,” as the label doesn’t necessarily suit his temperament, his deep dives into historical data have convinced him that the world is indeed getting better and has been on a steady trajectory since the days of the Enlightenment, the subject of one of his many acclaimed books.  Dr. Pinker also describes why he believes so many intellectuals resist acknowledging that the world is making progress; and adds, ironically, that self-described “progressives” often have the toughest time with this.  He also shares his concerns about the policing of speech on college campuses – including Harvard – and the deleterious effects this has on students’ wellbeing. 

In this very special episode of Blue Sky, Steve D. tells the remarkable story of his struggle against his son’s severe addiction to alcohol. (Steve is not using his full name here to protect his son’s anonymity.)  While living what he would describe as a near perfect life – great marriage with his high school sweetheart, dream job, five great children – Steve discovers that his youngest child is struggling with an addiction that has driven him to the point of attempting to take his own life.  Almost overnight, Steve’s world is turned upside down as he and his wife try to face their new reality and save their son.  With striking honesty, Steve describes his family’s heartbreaking and terrifying challenges, and why he left his Wall Street job to study addiction and make helping others in this predicament his life’s work.  Looking back now, the optimist in Steve describes his son’s struggles as “a gift,” and you’ll understand why when you hear his story.

A content note: this episode includes discussion of severe addiction and suicide.

Vanessa Cooksey has held a variety of roles at a wide range of organizations — from Cartoon Network to Wells Fargo — and she explains how these all have prepared her to take the helm of the Regional Arts Commission (RAC) of St. Louis.  Vanessa describes in touching detail how a piece of art once literally helped save her life, and how she channels her appreciation for creativity into the work she does today to support the vibrant arts community in St. Louis.  She began her work in the depths of the pandemic but has turned that challenge into an opportunity to re-think and re-building this dynamic grants-making organization.

Dan Reicher’s interest in and advocacy for environmental protection and clean energy began when he was a child and has continued throughout his life.  In addition to teaching at Stanford University, has served three U.S. presidents, testified before the U.S. Congress more than 50 times, led the launch of Google’s pathbreaking climate and clean energy work, oversaw a $1.2 billion annual clean energy R&D budget as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy, and co-founded the nation’s first investment firm focused exclusively on renewable energy project finance.  In this Blue Sky episode, Dan provides his take on potential climate change solutions; from hydro, solar, wind,  and nuclear power, to conservation and reforestation.  He explains that while he’s realistic about the massive amount of work and resources that will be required to solve the climate crisis, he’s optimistic about our ability to get it done.

During her upbringing in Mumbai, India, Jeroo Billimoria’s parents taught her to take an active interest in the welfare of everyone in her community.  She was encouraged at the end of every day to ask herself, “How many people have I made smile and how many people have I helped?”  This attitude, combined with a humble leadership style and creative, entrepreneurial spirit has led Jeroo to create a series of successful ventures, primarily targeting the welfare of children.

Like most neuroscientists, until a little more than thirty years ago, Dr. Richard “Richie'' researched and studied things that go wrong with the brain.  But then, in 1992 he visited the Dalai Lama, who challenged him instead to work on understanding what happens to our brains when we practice kindness and compassion.  This conversation changed the trajectory of Richie’s life and career and he will share much of what he’s worked on and learned in the thirty-plus years since.  Among the topics covered in this conversation are the toxicity of distraction, neuroplasticity and our ability to reshape our brains, the value of gratitude and appreciation, and how simply being more aware of our surroundings can change our mindsets for the better.

One of the biggest complaints people have about their job is the lack of feedback they receive, both positive and negative.  Amy Sandler and the team Radical Candor believe in the power of “caring personally and challenging directly,” in valuing colleagues in a meaningful way and not being afraid to challenge them openly and honestly.  The Radical Candor company was founded following the success of Kim Scott’s eponymous bestseller and today holds seminars and workshops to train people in the lessons and behaviors she espouses. In this Blue Sky podcast, Amy explains how she came to this work and provides lessons and examples of how to put the principles of Radical Candor into practice.  Amy helps us understand how “ruinous empathy,” and “obnoxious aggression,” get in the way of constructive guidance at work. And as an added, if unrelated bonus, she also describes how, and why she has made it a practice to walk across hot coals seven times now.  

Charles Kenny brings to this episode a great depth of knowledge of progress being made around the world and supports his optimistic views with compelling statistics and anecdotes.  As he covers subjects ranging from disease eradication to life expectancy and the cost of basic necessities, Charles explains with infectious enthusiasm why we should take time to appreciate the remarkable progress we continue to make around the world.  Charles does not suggest we rest on our laurels but instead emphasizes that, “Because we can make the world better, there’s a moral imperative to make the world better.”

Virginia Gleason has spent her career working on improving law enforcement and public safety.  She comes to this work not out of a desire to put bad people behind bars or even simply to keep our streets safe, but rather as she says, “to impact the quality of people’s lives and reduce suffering.”  Virginia offers an optimistic take on the future of policing and public safety with an emphasis on improving the data collection and transparent dissemination of information related to police encounters with the community.  She also encourages the “democratization” of public safety, encouraging officers to get to know their constituents better – by engaging when times are good, not just when called to a scene – and for those of us who don’t work in law enforcement, to make efforts to understand their departments and the challenges they face.  Quoting her husband, a retired police officer, Virginia explains her belief that, “Everyone wants to be loved, everyone wants to be forgiven and everyone wants to be heard.  If you don’t know what else to do, fall back on those three things.”

After studying and working on public health issues, both in Lebanon and the United States, Teresa Chahine wanted to move from identifying and understanding societal problems to trying to fix them. While at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health she was exposed to the teaching of social entrepreneurship “across the river” at the university’s business school.  Inspired by the promise of this relatively new discipline, she created her own course on the subject at the Chan School and now has written a definitive textbook on the subject.  She is now inspiring students at the Yale School of Management with the promise of how effective social entrepreneurship can help improve our world.

Growing up in New York with a particular interest in “the dark side” of human nature, Oren Segal has channeled that curiosity into a career spent providing resources, expertise and training which enables law enforcement, public officials and internet and technology companies to identify and counter emerging threats.  Oren approaches this challenging work with intense dedication and an inspiring sense of hope and optimism.

Learn More About Oren Segal and ADL:

https://www.adl.org/ 

https://www.adl.org/about/regional-offices

Dominique Wright describes a childhood of “humble beginnings,” complete with a series of forced moves and an eviction.  But she says that the positive mindset instilled by her mom helped her persevere through these tough early years to graduate from the US Naval Academy and serve as an officer, earn a law degree, and work at the NFL Players Association and the league’s business and legal affairs department.  Today, Dominique is the founder and CEO of a technology marketing startup, serving college athletes pursuing name, image, and likeness opportunities.  She describes her current work as the toughest she’s ever done, but says that her optimistic outlook and grit will get her through.

The legendary Kevin Kelly shares his optimistic views on technology and our collective future.  As someone who was building online communities as early as the 1980’s and helped create Wired magazine in 1993, Kevin has seen it all, and his fascinating insights and predictions on subjects including social media and artificial intelligence are based on years of hands-on experience.  He and Bill also discuss some of their favorite excerpts from Kevin’s great new book, Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier, which will be available on May 3.  As Seth Godin says, “One hundred years from now, when so much of the nonsense of our age is forgotten, people will still remember Kevin Kelly and his wisdom.”

Following his early years as a musician and chasing dreams of becoming “the next John Mayer,” Tim Schurrer went on to a successful career building teams and powerful brands.  We know that one of the most common barriers to an optimistic outlook is dissatisfaction at work and in this episode, Tim describes his realization that great things happen when we shift our focus from climbing the ladder to helping others be successful. 

John Valverde describes the impactful work of the organization he leads, YouthBuild USA, and also shares his own inspiring story of persevering through 16 years in prison to found two non-profits and now lead a third; YouthBuild USA.  John explains how he brings his own lived experience to his leadership role of an organization that helps young people at their own crossroads change the trajectory of their life.

Learn More About John and YouthBuild USA:

https://youthbuild.org/

Rob Watson talks about how he emerged from a challenged school system in New York, graduated from Harvard College, served in the Peace Corps, and later earned two master’s degrees.  He explains what drives him to work so hard — and with so much hope — to achieve equity in opportunities for public school by teaching master’s candidates at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and by supporting innovative collaborative action programs around the country, including in his hometown of Poughkeepsie.

Learn More About Rob:

https://edredesign.org/home 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robwatsonjr/ 

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ 

https://www.pkchildrenscabinet.com/ 

David Novak has had a remarkably successful career and one that was defined by his boundless enthusiasm and contagious sense of optimism.  He describes in this episode that he’s never come across a leader who wasn’t an optimist and reflects on why he thinks this is the case.  He also discusses the inspiring work he’s been doing since leaving his job at the top of Yum! Brands, where he was widely considered to be one of the top CEO’s in the world.

Learn More About David:

https://howleaderslead.com/ 

https://www.yum.com/wps/portal/yumbrands/Yumbrands

https://davidnovakleadership.com/

Jeff Korzenik, the chief economist at a major US bank, explains how predicting a labor shortage in the US led him to discover the growing movement around “second chance” hiring of people with criminal records.  His passion for this work led him to write “Untapped Talent,” a book that explains to companies the benefits of this type of hiring and offers a blueprint of how best to do it.  Jeff describes how second chance hiring can transform lives and communities.

Check out Jeff’s book, “Untapped Talent” here.

In this episode, Bert describes how he and his brother grew from a challenging upbringing to create Life is Good, the original positive outlook brand.  He explains why he believes that optimism is a superpower and suggests that in all of history, there’s never been a successful pessimist.

Browse Life is Good here! : https://www.lifeisgood.com/

Dr. Benton discusses how she came to choose to work with young people and their families and why she’s never been more optimistic about the future of child and adolescent mental healthcare in this country.  She shares her thoughts about the pros and cons of social media, the impact of the pandemic on young people and the value of outdoor activities for a children’s psyches.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is described here: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/child-and-adolescent-psychiatry-and-behavioral-sciences

Tané Hunter and Dr. Angus (Gus) Hervey are the co-founders of Future Crunch, an Australia-based organization that provides intelligent, optimistic thinking about the future.  In their conversation with Bill, Tané and Gus cover such topics as the future of green energy, the pros and cons of AI and ChatGPT, and what they see as some of the most inspiring but under-reported stories from around the world.

Find Future Crunch’s newsletter at this link, and browse their full site! https://futurecrun.ch/subscribe

Marcy shares her view that we need to stay hopeful and optimistic about our ability to impact the rate and effects of climate change.  She explains why climate doom is the new climate denial and describes how she thinks we should educate young people about the climate and their future.

Sign up for The Climate Optimist at https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/climateoptimist/

And find the “Rewiring America” calculator here: https://www.rewiringamerica.org/app/ira-calculator

David Gardner discusses a wide range of topics, from the relationship between optimism and entrepreneurship to developing an investment strategy with an eye towards your own positive vision for the future, to David’s outsized love for, of all things, board games! 

Check out The Motley Fool at www.fool.com

And Steven Pinker’s TED talk referenced in the interview is here: https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_is_the_world_getting_better_or_worse_a_look_at_the_numbers?language=en

Hosted by Bill Burke, founder of The Optimism Institute, this weekly podcast will feature inspiring leaders, authors, researchers, and big thinkers who are taking on some of our world’s toughest challenges with an infectious sense of optimism.   Blue Sky takes its name from the meditation reminder that there’s always blue sky above, sometimes you just have to get your head above the clouds to see it.