Today is the Day Changemakers

Send us Fan Mail The spotlight is on, the red carpet is rolled out, and midlife women are taking center stage. In this special episode of the Today Is the Day Changemakers Podcast, I reconnect with my friend Kim Keating, futurist, speaker, and Founder & CEO of The Fifty Factor – Midlife Reimagined. Together we share the heart behind Midlife Women: It’s Your Opening Night! , an unforgettable ev...

Send us Fan Mail This week on the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, Jodi interviews Ali Knight. What does it take to move 35 million Americans out of poverty? Ali Knight, CEO of GreenLight Fund, says it starts with building an “infrastructure for opportunity.” Ali was born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn as one of eight kids. He grew up poor, spent time in foster care, and relied on public s...

Send us Fan Mail A New Heart. A Life Still Unfolding. | Bob Goodman on Resilience, Purpose & Possibility What happens when a healthcare leader who helped build transplant programs becomes the person who needs a transplant? This week on the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast , host Jodi Hope Grinwald welcomes Robert “Bob” Goodman , a former hospital CEO, healthcare consultant, heart transpla...

Send us Fan Mail Stuck in traffic, spilled coffee on your shirt, or dealing with something much bigger? Mental toughness coach Chris Dorris says the problem isn’t what happened. It’s the story we tell ourselves about it. In this episode of the Today’s the Day Changemakers podcast, Jodi Grinwald sits down with Chris Dorris, a former Atlantic City social worker turned mental toughness coach. He has...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a life of peace when you grew up believing fear was normal? In recognition of October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I’m bringing you two special episodes of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast this week. Following my conversation with Liz Graham of 180 Turning Lives Around, I welcome author and domestic violence advocate Kathleen Albertson f...

Send us Fan Mail At 19, Liz Graham turned to 180 Turning Lives Around for help. Today, she leads the very organization that supported her when she needed it most. In recognition of October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast features a deeply personal conversation with Liz Graham, Chief Executive Officer of 180 Turning Lives Around. Liz sh...

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when you’ve spent your life building businesses—and suddenly, you’re told you may have only weeks to live? In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers podcast, host Jodi Hope Grinwald welcomes entrepreneurs and Smilo Foundation co-founders Mike and Bethany Smilovich for a deeply personal conversation about cancer, advocacy, partnership, and finding hope whe...

Send us Fan Mail This is such an incredible Today is the Day Changemakers episode! You won't want to miss this conversation... What does a career spent covering everything from Hollywood’s biggest nights to some of the country’s most difficult breaking news stories teach you about people? Bill Cunningham is an independent, award-winning producer of thousands of stories and live shots in 12 co...

Send us Fan Mail What becomes possible when you listen to those who believe in you—and allow their belief to help shape your journey as you grow into the leader you are meant to become? In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast , I sit down with Dr. Patrick F. Leahy, president of Monmouth University and Chair of the Board of the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music. Patri...

Send us Fan Mail What if changing your relationship with fear could change your entire life? In this deeply honest episode of the Today Is the Day Changemakers Podcast, Jodi Hope Grinwald sits down with Liz Svatek—transformational coach, speaker, healer, author, podcast host, and Founder of the Warrior Woman Movement. Liz shares what it was like growing up in a volatile home and living in “two wor...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a 38-year career, lead a company through 20 years of growth and adversity, and stand up for the things you believe in—even when doing so isn’t easy? In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, I sit down with Philip “Phil” Brilliant, founder and owner of Brilliant Environmental Services, LLC , a full-service environmental consulting fir...

Send us Fan Mail How is ZanaAfrica transforming menstrual health, girls’ education, reproductive health, and gender equality in Kenya? In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, host Jodi Hope Grinwald speaks with Megan Mukuria—founder of ZanaAfrica , Ashoka Fellow, Harvard University graduate, and award-winning social entrepreneur. Megan grew up in Connecticut and attended Harv...

Send us Fan Mail I’m Jodi Hope Grinwald, host of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast. In this episode, special guest co-host Fred Wasiak, Principal Owner of Humanics Consulting , and we sit down with motivational keynote speaker, author and improv comedian Avish Parashar for a powerful and refreshingly honest conversation about navigating change, moving beyond apathy and replacing “yes, but”...

Send us Fan Mail One Small Act of Kindness Can Change Everything: A Conversation with Karen Olson What if one small act of kindness could change the course of your life—and ultimately impact millions of others? On this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast , host Jodi Hope Grinwald sits down with Karen Olson, founder and CEO emeritus of Family Promise, for an inspiring conversation...

Send us Fan Mail On July 31, 2025, we released an episode about what humor means and how it is a true connector.  Today, we’re honored to share it again. In this episode I am joined by Lenny Dave, Kermit Cole, and special guest co-host, Michael Gershe.  Humor connects people. Humor heals people. Humor is much more than telling a joke. Listen in the hear more about what humor means to us as a socie...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when one moment changes the direction of your life—and you must decide how you are going to move forward? On July 20, 2017, Matthew Fumo dove into shallow water while swimming with friends near the Longport Bridge in Ocean City, New Jersey. He struck his head on the bottom, sustained a C4 spinal cord injury, and was paralyzed from the shoulders down. He was told he co...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast . Today’s guest is Whitney Buchmann , Founder of Illustra Impact , joined by co-host Fred Wasiak , Founder of Humanics Consulting . Whitney believes we’re at our best when we’re locally rooted, globally minded . In this inspiring conversation, she shares how embracing new perspectives, cultures, and experiences expands our think...

Send us Fan Mail What if the biggest challenge facing our communities isn't a lack of ideas... but our willingness to act? In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast , I sit down with Catherine Wilson, President & CEO of United Way of Greater Newark for one of the most honest conversations I've had about leadership, community, and creating meaningful change. We begi...

Send us Fan Mail What if success isn't just measured by what we build—but by how we impact the people around us? This week on the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast , I sit down with Ed DeAngelis, Founder and CEO of EDA Contractors , whose journey from selling newspapers as a young boy to leading a company of more than 400+ employees challenges much of what we think we know about success,...

Send us Fan Mail What if the life you've built no longer feels aligned with the life you're meant to live? In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast , Jodi sits down with artist, coach, and entrepreneur Marc Scheff for a powerful conversation about reinvention, creativity, purpose, and the courage to embrace change. Many of us spend years building careers, relationship...

Send us Fan Mail From Adversity to Impact: Tisha Janigian's Journey of Hope, Leadership & Empowerment What happens when one woman refuses to let her circumstances define her future? In this inspiring episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast , host Jodi sits down with Tisha Janigian , founder and president of S HE IS HOPE LA , owner of S HE IS HOPE REALTY , and contributing aut...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to leave your home country as a teenager, move to New York with nothing but a dream, dance your way through the entertainment industry alongside icons like Prince and Liza Minnelli… survive a life-altering health crisis… and then completely reinvent your life to help others heal from the inside out? On today’s episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the person responsible for managing some of the hardest realities inside the prison system goes home carrying the weight of leadership… while also trying to raise children as a single father? In this deeply honest episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast , Jodi Hope Grinwald and cohost Fred Wasiak, Principal Owner, Humanics Consulting sit down with Ti...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jodi sits down with filmmaker, director, writer, and producer Monique Impagliazzo , whose work spans film, television, documentaries, music videos, and commercials—and whose passion for storytelling is rooted in connection, courage, and impact. With over 15 years in the industry, Monique has built an incredible career, including directing the award-winning comedy...

Send us Fan Mail What if one of the most prestigious programs in the world didn’t give her what you’d expect… …and what she actually walked away with is the reason everything works today? In this episode, I sit down with Theresa Hummel-Krallinger —and this conversation goes way beyond career paths. We start talking, and within minutes, it’s clear—this isn’t just an interview.  It’s one of those co...