Sounds Good Season Finale // If you've been looking for a sign to change your life, this is it. As you've probably figured out by now, life isn't a linear line. It's full of ups and downs, uncertainty, and confusion; however, what guides us through is intentionality. That's what illustrator and author Adam J. Kurtz's fourth book, You Are Here (For Now): A Guide to Finding Your Way, tackles. In it are essays and illustrations aimed to help readers with personal transformation — instead of simply living life getting through it day by day, Kurtz wants you to actually enjoy where you are and who y ..read more

Petitions help people feel like they’re making change in the world — but do they really make a difference? Stuart Perelmuter, the founder of OD Action and Atadvocacy, has worked for over a decade to keep hundreds and thousands of people informed and engaged in progressive politics through cause-related community development. From launching his own action network to working as a communications strategist on Capitol Hill, Stuart Perelmuter has partnered with various candidates and causes — including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — to create a better world. In this episode, Stuart Perelmuter shares hi ..read more

The gap between good intentions and real change is a big one to fill. While many companies are interested in making their workplaces more diverse, it’s not enough to simply want more inclusion. It takes real systemic change to transform any professional setting into an equitable one and many value-driven organizations find themselves stuck at being just short of making real progress. Thankfully, that’s what our next guest is working to solve. Bethaney Wilkinson is the author of The Diversity Gap, a guide to instituting diversity efforts in workplaces. Bethaney’s lived experience as a Black wom ..read more

Pulitzer Prize winner Professor Annette Gordon-Reed has been celebrating Juneteenth her entire life. But in light of the global spotlight on the Black Lives Matter movement from last year’s protests against police brutality, more and more people are aware of what Juneteenth represents for America. As well as a celebration of Black joy and liberty, Juneteenth is an opportunity to reflect on the history of emancipation—and how we can continue to fight for civil rights the other days of the year too. In this episode, Professor Gordon Reed—a notable American historian and Harvard professor—shares ..read more

Develop for Good pairs students with nonprofits to use tech to make a difference. The founder of the organization, Mary Zhu, is no stranger to the experiences of underserved communities. She’s the daughter of two Chinese immigrants and her cultural background was a huge driving force in helping see disparities in marginalized communities… and how to bridge those gaps. In high school, Mary even founded her first nonprofit organization — which aimed to sponsor children in underserved communities by selling cakes to the community. After spending four years at Stanford University, Mary noticed tha ..read more

Growing up in the racially and economically segregated suburbs of Maryland, Patrice Berry found herself wanting to work in U.S. policymaking after experiencing firsthand how hard it is for marginalized folks to finish school, get assistance, and provide for their families. She now works for the mayor of Oakland, California, working to improve local and state laws. It was there that she was inspired to found AssistHub, an app that helps Californians access any public benefits they may be eligible for. As it turns out, there’s a ton of unclaimed public benefits that’s available to everyone: $60 ..read more

The nonprofit New Story is solving global homelessness with innovative and holistic solutions. By providing financing and creating innovative home designs and processes, New Story has built 26 communities in four countries, all while partnering with local builders using local resources. The organization prides itself on experimenting with new housing solutions — they even built the world’s first 3D printed community in Mexico. Since 2015, New Story has funded more than 2,300 homes for more than 11,000 people. In this episode, Branden speaks with New Story’s CEO, Brett Hagler, about the organiz ..read more

After trading jazz for a Harvard education, this doctor chose to support refugees by not only working in a refugee camp in Turkey, but by developing an app that supports refugees’ unique healthcare needs. One of the major challenges of being a refugee is the lack of access to real healthcare, particularly for refugee women. But through the power of empathy and tech, there are now more avenues for refugees seeking proper care for their basic needs. This week, we are joined by Aral Sürmeli, a Harvard educated refugee healthcare provider. Sürmeli has worked to offer solutions through public advoc ..read more

Being an environmentally conscious consumer means shopping smarter, not harder. But with so much information and products in the world, it can be challenging to know where to start making choices that are good for the planet. Thankfully, our guest is doing the good work to help everyday folks make small, but valuable choices that benefit the environment. Laura Wittig co-founded Brightly — an online community and content platform that puts the environment first — to help consumers shop well for themselves and the earth. Before she co-founded Brightly, Laura worked in the world of tech: Adobe, A ..read more

Terence Lester (Love Beyond Walls) is making a difference for people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and economic inequality. He founded Love Beyond Walls, an Atlanta-based organization that serves people experiencing homelessness. He returns to the podcast for the second time to discuss the power of change-making in the context of community and collaboration. He shares tips for reducing burnout and how to break down barriers that prevent us from taking action. Guest: Terence Lester, founder of Love Beyond Walls and author of “When We Stand: The Power of Seeking Justice Together” Buy Ter ..read more