Do Good on Purpose

In a world growing more polarized by the day - where divisions are deepening politically, culturally, and across faiths and identities - the work of building genuine cross-cultural understanding among young people has never felt more urgent. And yet young people today are also the most globally connected generation in human history. The question is whether that connectivity produces genuine unders...

We talk about young people constantly - in policy reports and donor strategies. And almost always, we talk about them as the future. As something to invest in for later. But what if that framing is exactly wrong? What if young people are not the future, but the present, already leading and solving the world's most pressing challenges right now? In Episode 14 - Part 1 of a two-part series on y...

There is a persistent myth that Korean Americans - and Asian Americans broadly - are a model minority community that is doing just fine. The numbers tell a very different story. Eleven percent of Korean Americans live in poverty. AAPI organizations receive less than 0.2% of philanthropic giving from foundations - a percentage that has barely moved in three decades. And the needs of Korean seniors,...

Black women in the United States experience domestic violence and sexual assault at disproportionately high rates. And yet for too long, the services built to help them have failed to reflect their culture, their community, or their experience - leaving Black women survivors without the culturally specific, trauma-informed care they deserve. In this episode, Dorothy Stuehmke speaks with Alana Brow...

Rising hate. Fading memory. And a generation of young people who need to be equipped to recognize the warning signs before it is too late. In Episode 11, Dorothy Stuehmke speaks with Morgan Blum Schneider, who leads the Jewish Family and Children's Services Holocaust Center, about what it truly takes to teach history in a way that inspires moral courage - and why that work has never felt more...

K-pop, K-drama, K-beauty - the Korean Wave has put Korea on the map in ways few could have predicted a generation ago. But Korea has always been on the map. Long before BTS and Squid Game captured the world's attention, the relationship between the United States and Korea was already one of the most consequential partnerships in the world - spanning diplomacy, security, trade, technology, and...

Every kid has talent. The question is whether they ever get the discipline, mentorship, and opportunity to discover how far it can take them. In Episode 9, Dorothy Stuehmke speaks with Katrina Adams, President and Executive Director of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program (HJTEP), about what it truly takes to turn access into opportunity - and how tennis as a sport can be a powerful tool...

When a person is forced to flee everything they know, humanitarian systems are often built to provide a short-term safety net - food, shelter, the basics needed to survive the immediate crisis. But survival isn't the same as thriving, and too many displaced people are left without a clear path toward what comes after the emergency: rebuilding a livelihood, regaining agency, and creating a lif...

When a child enters foster care, the first message they often receive is delivered not in words - but in a trash bag. It says: your belongings don't deserve a suitcase. And for too many children, that message stays with them long after the bag is gone. In this episode, Dorothy Stuehmke speaks with Rob Scheer, Founder and CEO of Comfort Cases, about what it truly takes to restore dignity to ch...

When we talk about solving youth violence, the conversation usually starts after crisis has already hit. But what if the most powerful - and most underfunded - work happens long before that? In the daily relationships, mental health supports, and safe spaces that help young people feel seen, connected, and capable of building a future? In Episode 6, Dorothy Stuehmke speaks with Celina de Sola, co-...

Sport can build far more than athletic skill - it can build confidence, resilience, belonging, and a sense of what's possible. But only when young people actually have access to it. What happens when you bring tennis into communities where that access has historically been limited? In Episode 5, Dorothy Stuehmke speaks with John Borden, CEO of Tennis Memphis, about why access to sport is real...

Too many young people never get a fair chance - not because of lack of potential, but because of systemic barriers that limit their opportunities before they ever begin. What does it look like to truly dismantle those barriers, and build pathways that give young people a real shot? In Episode 4, Dorothy Stuehmke speaks with John Valverde, President and CEO of YouthBuild Global, about his powerful...

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the nature of work across every industry - but who actually gets access to the careers it creates? As the tech workforce evolves faster than ever, the risk isn't just disruption. It's that economic opportunity becomes even more concentrated among those who already have access. In Episode 3, Dorothy Stuehmke speaks with Bertina Ceccarelli, CEO of NPowe...

Most promising ideas for social change never reach their potential - not because they're flawed, but because they don't find the right support at the right moment. What if the most powerful lever for solving society's biggest challenges is identifying and investing in exceptional leaders much earlier in their journey? In Episode 2, Dorothy Stuehmke speaks with Cheryl Dorsey, CEO of...

Millions of women face persistent, measurable barriers in the workforce - limited access to career resources, systemic inequality, and a lack of community support that holds back long-term economic independence. Clothing can open a door. But what does it really take to keep it open?  In Episode 1, Dorothy Stuehmke speaks with Joanie Bily, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide, about what it truly tak...

Join Dorothy Stuehmke, former U.S. Diplomat and Social Impact Expert, for conversations with leaders tackling the defining challenges of our time -- and discover how you can take action and support the solutions through the show’s Giving Circle. Subscribe so you never miss an episode to Do Good on Purpose .