As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to put a strain on economies throughout the U.S., many nonprofits are feeling the impact, especially those focused on homelessness and poverty. With limited support from the public, and rising demands for food

A Time to Listen

Jul 2nd, 2020 38m 50s

In his years of public service, Michigan State Senator Peter MacGregor has been a man of action. Serving as chairman of the appropriations subcommittee on health and human services, Senator MacGregor recently led the Senate in providing $524 mi

The Call to Serve

Jun 12th, 2020 24m 42s

The path to public service differs for many. For Michigan State Senator Winnie Brinks, it included serving as executive director for One Way House, a non-profit serving non-violent female offenders in a residential setting as an alternative to

Into the Great Unknown

May 26th, 2020 28m 50s

School leaders across the country are working diligently in preparation for the upcoming school year, despite the continued uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. As you can imagine, developing plans becomes even more challenging when you have no id

4 Impact: Amplify GR

May 19th, 2020 5m 20s

Amplify GR seeks to widen pathways so that more residents can participate and benefit from neighborhood growth. In our conversation with Jon Ippel, the non-profit organization’s executive director, we talk about establishing more equitable outc

4 Impact: Samaritas

May 14th, 2020 5m 21s

Kelli Dobner, Chief Advancement Officer at Samaritas, a non-profit organization providing critical services supporting vulnerable populations, discusses the ongoing foster care crisis across Michigan.

State Economies in Flux

May 11th, 2020 53m 4s

In addition to the grave health concerns surrounding COVID-19, the global pandemic is wreaking economic havoc on communities around the world. While nothing is as important as the health and well-being of our neighbors, the long-term impact of

4 Impact: Humane Society of West Michigan

May 6th, 2020 5m 18s

Holly Guild, executive director of Humane Society of West Michigan, shares why the non-profit organization is a critical part of the community and the challenges it faces during COVID-19.

Democratizing Entrepreneurship

Apr 9th, 2020 20m 15s

The president and chief innovation officer at Skypoint Ventures in Flint, David Ollila, is a serial entrepreneur with 12 patents on products ranging from sporting goods to wearable technology. He’s also deeply interesting and funny as hell.Dav

A Renaissance in Detroit

Feb 10th, 2020 17m 7s

Detroit is experiencing a major renaissance—returning to its former glory as one of America’s greatest cities. One way in which this renaissance is obvious is in the vast amount of development taking place across the city. While development is

A Return to Classical Education

Jan 17th, 2020 20m 7s

Parents have never had more choices for their children’s education than they do today. Whether it’s traditional public schools or public charter schools, brick-and-mortar or virtual, parents have myriad opportunities to select the learning mode

The Age of Data

Dec 2nd, 2019 25m 21s

Have you seen the movie Moneyball starring Brad Pitt? It’s one of my favorites. Whether that is because Brad Pitt is my favorite actor or because baseball, my favorite sport, is heavily featured throughout the movie, I’m not sure. What I can te

Widening pathways for all

Nov 15th, 2019 40m 32s

Anyone who’s had the pleasure of meeting Ashanti Bryant can’t help but be engrossed by his enormous personality. By making every person he meets feel as though they’re the only one there, he captivates every room he walks into. As a result, he’

Importance of great superintendents

Nov 5th, 2019 24m 22s

Having worked with public schools for more than two decades, I continue to marvel at the commitment required by superintendents. A typical work day for a school superintendent is 14-16 hours long, due to early mornings and the various evening c

Caring for children with mental health concerns

Oct 11th, 2019 24m 11s

According to a 2016 study by the University of Michigan, nearly half of the 7.7 million children and teens in the country who are living with at least one treatable mental health disorder—including ADHD or anxiety—do not receive needed treatmen

Community Mental Health with Bob Sheehan

Sep 24th, 2019 19m 47s

Due to growing epidemics like the opioid crisis, and systematic underfunding of mental and behavioral health services, discussions on such issues have become more prevalent over the past decade. Open conversations take place more frequently amo

School Foundations with Sally Andreatta

Sep 4th, 2019 15m 43s

School funding is a sensitive topic. While many think we don’t spend enough on schools, others would argue that we spend too much. Having worked with public schools for more than 20 years, I know that administrators and parents are always fight

Career Pathways with John Proos

Aug 19th, 2019 34m 19s

It’s no secret that schools are at the heart of the community – if your school system is doing well, more than likely your community is doing well. But what if your school isn’t doing well? What options do parents have and what changes can comm

Trailer

Purposeful Pitch Trailer

Aug 13th, 2019 34s

Welcome to the Purposeful Pitch, a podcast focused on initiating positive change and addressing socio-economic disparities facing communities across the country. Conversations will feature school leaders, CEOs of not-for-profit organizations an

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