Welcome to the Stand Together Podcast! Join our hosts, Evan, Becky, Ty, Jeff, and Ski as they share their vision for the series and introduce the four themes that will guide our discussion over the next 14 weeks. From big-picture paradigms to practical transformation, we will cover a lot of ground and would love for you to join us. Hosts for this Episode: Evan Feinberg, Jeff Proctor, Ski Ahmad, Ty Spells Produced by Stand Together and BitterSweet Creative Executive Producers: Obiekwe "Obi" Okolo and Robert Winship Editing, Engineering, and Sound Design: Robert Winship Title Track: Being Nosta ..read more

In this first full-length episode exploring A Brief History of Good, hosts Evan and Becky take us on a journey from the dawn of American society to the industrial revolution. We will explore how the work of doing good grew from small-scale volunteer associations into a multi-billion dollar economic engine—and we’ll unpack all the implications of that change for the social sector today. Hosts for this Episode: Evan Feinberg and Becky Endicott Produced by Stand Together and BitterSweet Creative Executive Producers: Obiekwe "Obi" Okolo and Robert Winship Editing, Engineering, and Sound Design: R ..read more

In this season’s final episode, Executive Producer Obiekwe Okolo sits down with Evan, Ski, Jeff, and Ty to identify the insights and conversations that stuck with them the most. We hope that this season has given you a new perspective on how to tackle the country’s most pressing problems, that our changemakers breaking the cycle of poverty inspire you, and that you are excited by our vision for the future of the Stand Together Podcast. Hosts for this Episode: Evan Feinberg, Jeff Proctor, Ski Ahmad, Ty Spells, Obiekwe "Obi" Okolo Produced by Stand Together and BitterSweet Creative Executive Pr ..read more

On Monday, November 9th, 2009, Dorris Walker-Taylor likes to say that she got her life back. That day, after almost three decades wrestling with addiction, abuse, and processing personal trauma, she joined the Thistle Farms community. In the years since, Dorris has embraced sobriety, cultivated a sense of her own worth, and become an ambassador of hope to fellow survivors across the country. Host for this Episode: Ty Spells Guest: Dorris Walker-Taylor, Thistle Farms Produced by Stand Together and BitterSweet Creative Executive Producers: Obiekwe "Obi" Okolo and Robert Winship Editing, Enginee ..read more

Evan talks with Dr. DeForest “Buster” Soaries, Jr., the chairman of dfree, and Antong Lucky, the president of Urban Specialists. Both leaders share their perspectives on transformative social change, including the importance of seeing potential in everyone. What if we started treating people as a part of the solution, rather than problems to solve?  Host for this Episode: Evan Feinberg Guests: Dr. DeForest “Buster” Soaries, Jr., Chairman of dfree, and Antong Lucky, President of Urban Specialists Produced by Stand Together and BitterSweet Creative Executive Producers: Obiekwe "Obi" Okolo a ..read more

In this final chapter of A Brief History of Good, Evan and Becky discuss some of the best examples of transformative nonprofits around the country. They identify why focusing on individuals can get better results than centralized planning, and land on a key strategic idea: what if we pursued collective empowerment instead of collective impact? You can find Evan's Forbes Article here! Hosts for this Episode: Evan Feinberg and Becky Endicott Produced by Stand Together and BitterSweet Creative Executive Producers: Obiekwe "Obi" Okolo and Robert Winship Editing, Engineering, and Sound Design: Ro ..read more

JJ Velazquez spent more than 23 years incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, a year after his release, he is on staff with the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, working to enhance the dignity of individuals in the criminal justice system. In this episode, JJ joins Ty Spells to discuss how he is turning his “trauma into triumph.” Host for this Episode: Ty Spells Guest: JJ Velazquez, Frederick Douglass Project for Justice Produced by Stand Together and BitterSweet Creative Executive Producers: Obiekwe "Obi" Okolo and Robert Winship Editing, Engineering, and Sound Design: Robert Wi ..read more

Ski and Jeff hear from Khali Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Downtown Boxing Gym, about his experience building a nonprofit that treats everyone with dignity. Khali designed Downtown Boxing Gym to provide others with the very thing he lacked in his own childhood in Detroit: people who believed in him and his potential. Now, the organization is transforming lives, one at a time, by listening well and giving young people the tools to chart their own path. Hosts for this Episode: Ski Ahmad and Jeff Proctor Guest: Khali Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Downtown Boxing Gym Produced by Stand Together and Bit ..read more

Evan and Becky continue their conversation by exploring how the industrial revolution influenced modern philanthropy. They consider the ways in which professionalization may have actually weakened the impact of nonprofit organizations, and identify how well-intentioned industry standards can actually stifle innovation. Hosts for this Episode: Evan Feinberg and Becky Endicott Produced by Stand Together and BitterSweet Creative Executive Producers: Obiekwe "Obi" Okolo and Robert Winship Editing, Engineering, and Sound Design: Robert Winship Special Thanks to Producers: Molly Ringel and Elgin Cat ..read more

Join hosts Evan Feinberg and Lauren McCann as they share a new vision for social change. We’ll identify the core ideas that led to the founding of Stand Together Foundation, discuss the broken paradigms that the organization is designed to address, and explore a few of the ways that Stand Together Foundation is setting a new course to transform communities from the bottom up. Hosts for this Episode: Evan Feinberg and Lauren McCann Produced by Stand Together and BitterSweet Creative Executive Producers: Obiekwe "Obi" Okolo and Robert Winship Editing, Engineering and Sound Design: Robert Winshi ..read more