Kroc Pod

In this episode, Dr. Commins, Academic Director of the MS in Humanitarian Action program at the Kroc School, sits down with Khaing Yadanar Phyoe, a Kroc School alumna who earned her Master of Arts in Peace and Justice. Originally from Myanmar, Khaing spent her final semester researching the intersection of conflict, peacebuilding, and digital media through her thesis, The Architecture of Silence:...

One in five U.S. adults now get their news from social media creators — and that number is even higher for people under 30. So what happens when those creators start doing journalism? Maya Srikrishnan of the News Creator Corps and Becky Bullard of Democrasexy join Kroc Pod to talk accountability, authenticity, and why making democracy feel good might be the most radical civic act of our time. Toge...

Investigative journalism doesn't just hold power accountable — it shapes the communities we live in. In this episode of Kroc Pod, we sit down with Lorie Hearn, one of San Diego's most consequential journalists and the founder of inewsource, a nonprofit newsroom that has redefined what local investigative reporting can look like. Hearn traces her path from an early obsession with storytelli...

In this episode, we sit down with Sage Dobby to explore how innovative thinking can transform everyday products into powerful tools for environmental change. Sage is an entrepreneur, an MA candidate in Social Innovation, and a passionate advocate for sustainability. As the winner of USD’s 7th Annual Fowler Business Concept Challenge, she shares the story behind her venture creating biodegradable,...

In this episode, 2025 Kroc School Women Peacemakers Fellow Lilian Olivia Orero, a Gender and Technology Lawyer from Kenya, shares the experience that inspired her to found SafeOnline Women Kenya (SOW-Kenya). She discusses the growing crisis of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), including online harassment and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and how these forms of...

In this episode, 2025 Kroc School Women Peacemakers Fellow Dr. Estefanía Castañeda Pérez, a professor at USC and lifelong transborder commuter, shares her research and lived experiences navigating life between the U.S. and Mexico. She unpacks how violence at the border is not only physical, but also structural and psychological, shaped by state power, discretionary enforcement, and immigration pol...

We kick of Season 7 of the Kroc Pod with a blockbuster -- in this episode, Kroc School Alumni Ryan Shipley shares his transformative journey from incarceration to becoming a leader in social justice through the Sisu Freedom Foundation. Shipley, the winner of the 2025 Necla Tschirgi Civic Engagement Award, discusses the challenges faced by system-impacted individuals during reentry, the importance...

What happens when the system gets it wrong? In this episode, we dig into the haunting realities of wrongful convictions with Amanda Knox, one of the most well known exonerees of our time and Professor Justin Brooks, founder of the California Innocence Project. Together with other leading voices in law and interrogation techniques, we unpack the hidden mechanics behind false confessions, implicit b...

What happens when Earth itself starts to wake up? In this episode, Kroc School Prof. Topher McDougal joins us to talk about his new book Gaia Wakes, where he explores the idea of Earth’s emergent consciousness and the possibility of a global AI-powered governance system. From the collision of economics and ecology to the Butlerian Jihad of the Dune series, McDougal pushes us to rethink humanity’s...

For our Season 6 premiere episode we examine what it really looks like when business leaders put people and planet before profit. In this episode, we dive into the rise of socially responsible businesses in San Diego with Jeff Blanton and Abraham Chen. From conscious capitalism to B Corps and social innovation, they share how a new wave of companies is reshaping the way we think about success. If...

What does it mean to hold space at the edge of life? In this episode, we sit down with two experienced death doulas to explore how they guide individuals and families through death, dying, and grief. We unpack the emotional, spiritual, and practical layers of end-of-life care—and what it means to show up with presence, compassion, and clarity. Whether you're navigating personal loss, exploring...

Explore Dr. Lailatul Fitriyah's journey through inter-religious education and feminist theology. Hear her insights on bridging Islam and Christianity, challenging stereotypes about Muslim women, and why feminist theology and dialogue matter for peace and activism. In today's episode we discuss: Muslim and Christian feminist theologians share similar concerns about patriarchal violence How Islamic...

In this episode, we explore how innovation can unlock solutions to complex social challenges, emphasizing the power of collaboration between NGOs, governments, and private industry. Our guest, Paola Santana — a lawyer, public procurement expert, and tech entrepreneur from the Dominican Republic — shares her inspiring journey from public service to building tech startups in Silicon Valley.

In this powerful episode of Kroc Pod, Dr. Cindi Cassady—Kroc School alumna and clinical psychologist—reveals her groundbreaking work establishing Kigali's first ketamine clinic to address Rwanda's critical mental health challenges. With one in five citizens struggling with depression, anxiety, and PTSD, Dr. Cassady shares how strategic partnerships and innovative ketamine treatments offer a transf...

What does justice look like when power, inequality, and environmental rights collide? Dayanna Gladys Palmar Uriana, a Violence, Inequality, and Power Fellow, joins us to explore the fight for Indigenous sovereignty through the lens of the Wayuu people. As a lawyer, journalist, and human rights advocate, Dayanna works to amplify the collective voice of her community, challenge entrenched power stru...

Dr. Bochra Laghssais, one of the 2024 Kroc Women Peacemaker Fellows, focuses her research on the adversities, vulnerabilities and agency of Amazigh Indigenous women in Morocco and the diaspora. Her work highlights the post-colonial realities that continue to impact Indigenous women today. Tune in to discover how the empowerment of Amazigh women shapes their own unique understanding of feminism. Fo...

Temi Mwale, racial justice activist and founder of 4Front, shares her journey advocating for transformative justice as one of the Kroc School's 2024 Women Peacemaker Fellows. We discuss the systemic challenges of violence and criminal justice in both the UK and the U.S. and her focus on the urgent need for healing-centered approaches over punishment. Temi’s work highlights the power of youth-l...

Dr. Mariia Levchenko, a 2024 Kroc School Women Peacemakers Fellow, takes us into the heart of conflict resolution in this riveting episode. Drawing from her groundbreaking work in Ukraine and Ethiopia, she offers a razor-sharp analysis of women's critical roles in navigating complex war zones, unpacking how her immigrant experience has uniquely positioned her to bridge divides and challenge tradit...

Dr. Fakhira Halloun is a distinguished Palestinian citizen of Israel and a prominent expert in conflict transformation, boasting over two decades of experience as both a researcher and practitioner. In her recent discussions, she emphasizes the critical role of Moral Imagination in addressing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, how she chooses peace daily and the need to bring more women to the conf...

Join us for a compelling conversation with Dean Darren Kew as we discuss the pivotal moments that spark change. From grassroots movements in Nigeria to peacemaking in Northern Ireland, we dive into the unseen threads that can tip societies toward peace. Dean Kew lets us in on his thoughts on peace technology, the role of art in peacemaking and what he hopes the future brings for global peace and t...

Dr. May Farid is the newest professor at the Kroc School of Peace Studies and just finished her first year teaching here in San Diego. Dr. Farid is a specialist in NGOs and grassroots movements and her research focuses on the intersection between citizen initiatives and state policies and how this dynamic plays into development and good governance. Dr. Farid talks about the importance of community...

Natalia Ventura and Nanzi Muro are activists transforming their communities through art. Natalia, an interdisciplinary artist and abolitionist from Chula Vista, California, blends her Mexican-Cuban-American heritage with her passion for nonviolence. Nanzi, an artivist from the borderlands, channels her unique experiences of living between the U.S. and Tijuana into powerful social practice art, adv...

Yaroslav Trofimov is the Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent at the Wall Street Journal , where he has worked since 1999 covering the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. He has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize the last two years for his coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. An author of 3 books, his latest is "Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russia...

Kelsey O. Daniels is a dynamic creative force and seasoned community organizer from South East San Diego. Kelsey delves into the ancestral, wellness, and liberation dimensions of dreaming. As the founder of "Check, Please!" and "The Black Dream Experiment," Kelsey curates spaces that empower authentic storytelling and celebrate the rich tapestry of Black dreaming. Beyond their...

Mara Tissera Luna is an international consultant focusing on understanding the root causes of forced displacement in Latin America and the Caribbean and improving protection for displaced populations. She's a social anthropologist who specializes in Latin America and the Caribbean. She advises UNICEF, Georgetown University, the University of Edinburgh and Refugees International among others an...