Hart & Hustle Podcast

From growing up in a tiny Queens home to leading Habitat for Humanity NYC, CEO Sabrina Lippman shares her powerful journey with Efrain. Discover how earned homeownership transforms entire communities and why AI is revolutionizing nonprofit operations while preserving human connection.

Childhelp COO Michael Medoro walked away from a high-paying surgery career to manage an orphanage in Guatemala for free. In this powerful conversation with Efrain, he reveals why chasing purpose over paychecks led to true success and shares the heartbreaking Mexico hospital story that reinforced his mission.

Christopher Newman went from fronting a rock band to leading a $1.2 billion healthcare system—all while raising two sets of twins. In this compelling conversation with Efrain Lozada, the President and CEO of Mary Washington Healthcare shares how music shaped his leadership philosophy and why authenticity is his secret weapon in the boardroom.

In this powerful episode, Efrain sits down with Danielle Vizcaino, President and CEO of The Assistance Fund, who shares her incredible journey from walking away from her dreams of medical school to leading one of the country's most impactful healthcare nonprofits.

This leadership duo saved a childcare organization from bankruptcy - twice. In this episode, Efrain discusses how Jack Safer (President & CEO) and Toya Casper-Cornelious (Chief Operating Officer) transformed Brightside Academy into a thriving mission-driven business serving nearly 2,000 children across 32 locations.

Project Vida CEO Tim Davenport-Herbst just revealed how a pastor's calling transformed into leading one of the border's most impactful nonprofits.

Michael Olenick, President of Child Care Resource Center, shares his incredible journey from rock band musician to leading a $760 million nonprofit impacting 66,000 children. In this episode, Efrain explores how authentic leadership, strategic scaling, and community partnerships can transform mission-driven organizations.

Mental Health Partnerships CEO Jeannine Lisitski shares her incredible journey from being on her own at 15 to surviving end-stage cancer and leading one of the most impactful mental health organizations in the country. In this powerful conversation with Efrain, she reveals how trauma transformed into purpose, why "it's all of us, not them" when it comes to needing support, and how nonprofits can s...

Olusheyi Lawoyin, COO of Watts Healthcare Corporation, shares her remarkable journey from witnessing healthcare disparities in Nigeria to leading one of LA's oldest community health organizations. Learn how she transformed challenges into purpose-driven leadership.

From accountant to CEO without ever driving a car - Donald Mullin's 30-year journey at Arc of Rensselaer County proves that true leadership comes from heart, not convenience. Discover how this remarkable leader doubled staff salaries and transformed lives in the disability services sector.

Paul Robinson, CEO of Home of the Innocents, reveals how he walked away from 21 Papa John's franchises to answer a divine calling. In this powerful conversation with Efrain Lozada, discover the extraordinary journey from pizza entrepreneur to transforming vulnerable children's lives through a $75 million expansion.

From DUI at 19 to mental health revolutionary - Dr. Caroline Fenkel's journey from addiction to becoming Co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer of Charlie Health proves that your lowest moments can become your greatest purpose. In this powerful conversation, Efrain explores how personal struggle transformed into a mission to make mental health accessible to struggling teens nationwide.

From theater stages to nonprofit boardrooms - Lissa Southerland, COO of Rising Ground, shares her journey to executive leadership while serving 30,000+ New Yorkers across 100+ programs. Discover how theater training shaped her leadership style and why she'd do this work even without pay.

From the barrio to boardroom: J Beto Lopez shares how he transformed from real estate executive to CEO of the organization that raised him. Learn how leaders can build sustainable revenue streams while staying true to their mission.

From nail tech to leading one of America's largest food banks, Shannon Hannon Olivier's journey proves that authentic leadership isn't about credentials, it's about heart. In this powerful conversation, Shannon shares how personal food insecurity shaped her mission at Feeding Tampa Bay and why she believes "no money, no mission" when scaling impact. 

Most people see disability as limitation. Rick Sebastian, President & CEO of The Kennedy Collective, proves them wrong every day. In this powerful conversation with Efrain, Rick shares how his childhood with his cousin Benny sparked a 43-year mission to transform lives and break cycles of invisibility in the disability community.

From part-time sports coordinator with a clipboard to District Vice President overseeing five YMCAs - Kristen Cole's 21-year journey at YMCA of Central Florida is a masterclass in authentic leadership and community impact. In this episode, Efrain discovers what really drives high-earning professionals to take pay cuts for nonprofit work.

Center for Family Services Chief of Staff Megan Lepore reveals the counterintuitive hiring strategy that transformed their 100-year-old nonprofit into Camden's most authentic community powerhouse. Learn why hiring residents as staff creates unbreakable trust and drives real results.

 Catie McCauley's parents met at the YMCA. She met her husband there too. Now she's running the place - literally. In this episode, Efrain explores how faith-driven leadership and cutting-edge AI are transforming community impact at the Family YMCA of Greater Augusta.

From an 18-year-old riding a ten-speed bike to work to leading a behavioral health center for 40+ years. Bonnie Barlow, CEO of Bridgeway Center, shares how one part-time job became a lifelong mission serving vulnerable communities.

From 29 years as an undercover narcotics cop to delivering hope in 48 hours - Dale Sutherland's transformation to "Undercover Pastor" will challenge everything you think you know about second chances and serving others.

Most healthcare advice actually hurts your healing journey. Erin Kosich, Founder of Compass Health Direct Primary Care, just changed Efrain's mind about what quality healthcare looks like. Learn how she transformed from a burned-out Duke Hospital nurse to building a practice where patients get 60 minutes instead of 6 minutes - and why they cry tears of relief, not frustration.

Colonel Duncan Milne spent 25 years flying Cobra attack helicopters for the Marines. Now he's quietly building a network supporting thousands of veterans without red tape. Learn how Dixon Center transforms communities nationwide.

At 26, Leighton Boyce became a franchise owner with zero healthcare experience. Learn how she built one of the most human-centered caregiving businesses while battling cancer and redefining leadership for the next generation.

How one mother's story with a compassionate doctor sparked a 28-year mission to transform healthcare for underserved communities. In this episode, Efrain discusses healthcare leadership and AI innovation with Art Mejia from San Ysidro Health. Learn how purpose-driven leadership scales without losing human connection.