Our Pandora's Box

The blue wave has arrived. But what will it actually change for women in America? The 2026 midterm elections brought historic Democratic victories and fresh hope for Americans looking for a different political direction. But as Our Pandora's Box host Maria Eliades reminds us, winning an election doesn't automatically change the culture that shaped the country in the first place. In this special so...

Between political polarization, dating app fatigue, AI, economic uncertainty, and the lingering effects of the pandemic, finding love can feel more difficult than ever. In this episode of Our Pandora's Box , host Maria Eliades talks with fourth-generation matchmaker and host of Ask a Matchmaker, Maria Avgitidis , about the state of modern dating, why politics has become such an important factor in...

Can We Still Have Good Sex When the World Feels Terrible? with Dr. Laurie Mintz What happens to sexual desire when you’re stressed, exhausted, worried about money, overwhelmed by politics—or simply don’t feel turned on anymore by anything? In this episode of Our Pandora’s Box , host Maria Eliades talks with sex psychologist, author, and University of Florida emerita professor Dr. Laurie Mintz abou...

How to Make and Keep Friends as an Adult Why does making friends as an adult feel so much harder than it did in college or your early 20s, and what actually helps? In Part 2 of our Friendship in America series, Maria Eliades talks with Alexandra Friedman, founder of Connection Feast, about adult friendship, loneliness, making new friends, keeping old ones, and what healthy friendships actually loo...

Our Pandora’s Box is taking a short mid-season break. We’re six episodes into Season 1, with four more conversations still to come on friendship, sex and eroticism, dating and relationships, and reproductive health and self-advocacy. The podcast returns Thursday, October 1 with Part 2 of our Friendship in America series, featuring Alexandra Friedman, founder of Connection Feast and a Seattle-based...

Are we actually in a friendship crisis—or is something more complicated happening? Americans have been hearing about a “loneliness epidemic” for years. But research from The American Friendship Project suggests that most Americans do have friends. So what's happening in this mismatch of data and perceptions? To find out, in this episode Maria talks with Dr. Natalie Pennington, Associate Professor...

Can you be a liberal or progressive woman and still be religious in the United States today? As conservative, tradition-seeking men increasingly turn to Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism—and a hypermasculine online religious culture grows alongside them—women who grew up in these traditions can find themselves asking a very different question: Is there still a place here for us? Host Maria Eli...

What does it actually take to build both a meaningful career and a family? This isn't an episode to convince you whether to have children or not. It's about understanding what's actually required to build both a meaningful career and a family in today's world. Our Pandora's Box host, Maria Eliades, speaks with humanitarian and development expert Merit Hietanen , author of The Humanitarian Parent ,...

Why are women still paid less than men? Award-winning financial journalist and The Ambition Penalty author Stefanie O'Connell joins Maria Eliades to unpack the hidden systems behind the gender pay gap, burnout, and women's financial inequality. Together, they explore why working harder isn't always enough—and what women can do individually and collectively to build greater financial freedom and la...

Fashion educator and marketing expert Catherine Trotin explores how fashion history, social media, and culture shape what we wear—and how you can develop a personal style that feels truly yours. In Episode 2 of Our Pandora's Box, your elder millennial sister host, Maria Eliades, sits down with My Fashion Stories Box host Catherine Trotin to unpack why even what we wear is not outside of the influe...

Feeling burned out at work? Wondering if you're on the right career path? Career coach Maria Giarmeniti shares how to identify your values, find meaningful work, and build a career that's true to who you are. In the first episode of Our Pandora's Box , host Maria Eliades explores what it means to create a life on your own terms in the face of burnout, political upheaval, and major career change. M...

Welcome to Our Pandora's Box, the show where we dive into the biggest issues today while also figuring out how to live the unconventional, full lives you want to shape. Starting July 9, we're launching the first season with interviews with vetted experts, hosted by your elder millennial sister, Maria Eliades. Leave us a voice note with your questions for future guests in our (In)box .