Denizen

DemocracyNext founder and CEO Claudia Chwalisz returns to the Denizen podcast to explore the intersection of deliberative democracy and artificial intelligence.  Here we are particularly interested in how we might crease democratic resilience by leveraging AI to scale deliberative processes.  Governance innovation is the AI application we're most enthusiastic about so we're excited to bring this c...

In this final episode of a three-part series on essential capabilities for a regenerative future with Robert Gilman, founder and president of The Context Institute. Robert and Jenny tie the first two episodes of the series together to bring you this conversation on collaboration.   We’ve all heard the term “omni-win” and talked about needed paradigms from zero sum to win for all.  I don’t know abo...

This episode explores the importance of understanding and integrating various modes of cognition. It is the second in a three-part series with Robert Gilman, founder and president of The Context Institute, covering essential competencies for the regenerative era.  Jenny and Robert discusses the limitations of object perception and categorical thinking, the roles of visual and kinesthetic thinking,...

This episode on psychodynamics is part one of a three part series on essential skills for a regenerative future, in honor of Rober Gilman's 80th birthday. Robert is the founder and president of The Context Institute and a pioneer in the sustainability movement. The conversation dives deep into psychodynamics and the importance of understanding our cognitive biases, nervous systems, and underlying...

In this episode of the Denizen podcast, host Jenny Stefanotti and activist Julia Rhodes Davis delve into the concept of 'white work,' which goes beyond confronting and dismantling racialized identities. They discuss the importance of understanding personal legacy, taking accountability for ancestors' actions, and taking actions individually to repair past harms. They also discuss the inner, interp...

We are incredibly fortunate to welcome Tema Okun to the Denizen podcast for this important conversation. Tema is the author of the influential 1999 paper "White Supremacy Culture" and has been a leader in the racial justice movement for over 35 years. In this insightful episode, Jenny and Tema explore the pervasive influence of white supremacy culture in society. They discuss the concept's histori...

This conversation features Tyson Yunkaporta, academic, arts critic, researcher, and member of the Apalech Clan in far north Queensland. Tyson is the author of Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World; Right Story, Wrong Story: How to Have Fearless Conversations in Hell; and Snake Talk: How the World’s Ancient Serpent Stories Can Guide Us. Unlike our typical episodes which focus on a t...

In this conversation Jenny and Jasmine discuss: Four common internalized stories we have about money Money trauma The importance of talking about money Jasmine's analogy of a water supply Philosophical questions of enough and fairness Banking: extractive vs. sustainable and community-oriented options Public banking Consumption decisions and Jasmine's no Amazon policy The irony of conscious consump...

This powerful conversation explores the relationship between decolonization and consciousness. Ashanti is a systems change agent focused on helping organizations deconstruct dominant narratives of colonization and replace them with life affirming narratives that support a regenerative future. She believes that true transformation must begin within, guiding leaders to embrace spiritual coherence an...

This episode builds on many prior conversations exploring work that we can do on ourselves, including living authentically, trauma and the nervous system, nonviolent communication, transforming relational conflict, and optimal zone resilience. It demonstrates how the work on ourselves extends upwards into the organization context, and further amplifies our impact at a systemic level. ‍ In this con...

Ethnocide is a word Barrett both coined and resurrected, referring to the destruction of a people’s culture while keeping the people. From Barrett’s point of view, Trump’s re-election is not cause for disbelief, but a glaring reminder of what America has been since its inception: a country founded by white men for the purposes of wealth accumulation, whose rhetoric of freedom and equality has alwa...

Melanie Rieback is a cybersecurity entrepreneur and the founder of Nonprofit Ventures, an organization dedicated to supporting post growth entrepreneurs.  She runs an incubator to support post growth entrepreneurs and teaches a course at the University of Amsterdam on post growth entrepreneurship. Her lectures are available on YouTube, linked below. This episode builds on a long series of conversa...

Consciousness is one of the six themes of the Denizen podcast and the role of psychedelics is an important subset of that inquiry. It's an honor to bring Rick Doblin to the podcast with this episode; he has been at the forefront of the movement since founding the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) in 1986. Rick is joined by Nirvan Mullick, filmmaker and founder of Interco...

Ferananda Ibarra is the CEO of the Coventina Foundation, co-founder of the Metacurrency Project, and expert in utilizing the decentralized web to enable economic innovation, collective intelligence, and the commons. In this conversation we explore the role of currency innovation in economic innovation and regenerative economics.  Fernanda has such an incredible range of experience and knowledge th...

This episode citizen’s assemblies, which are similar to jury duty, but for policy. Over the course of several months, a representative group of everyday citizens comes together to understand and deliberate issues, ultimately making policy recommendations. They’re very compelling as a compliment to traditional policy making processes, as citizens do not face the incentive challenges that elected of...

Resources: Development in Progress: https://consilienceproject.org/development-in-progress/ To stay connected to all things Denizen, you can sign up for our newsletter at www.becomingdenizen.com .  There we share our latest content alongside community events, educational opportunities, and announcements from our many partner organizations.

If you’re wondering how we might reform capitalism to be less extractive and more regenerative, this conversation is for you.  Our guests Chelsea Robinson and Jay Standish have just published a book, Assets in Common , sharing recent research on what is happening in the most progressive corners of the current economic landscape.     We discuss shared and stewardship governance models, which yield...

Over the last few episodes we’ve been exploring work that we can do on ourselves and in intimate relationships. This conversation builds on those by extending that individual work into the group and organizational level.   We explore power and examine the patterns that show up at all organizational levels, from teams to organizations to coalitions to movements. ‍ In this conversation Jenny and Ted...

In this episode we’re discussing healing trauma, specifically what is required to address trauma at the root: in our nervous systems.  This topic is critical because what most of us don’t realize is how many people live in a perpetually dysregulated state due to unresolved trauma.  This leaves us with an ongoing baseline of reactivity, hypervigilance, and anxiety that spills over into every area o...

In this episode we’re discussing conflict resolution, in particular, the distinction between an adversarial paradigm, that all of us unwittingly hold, and a restorative paradigm, that gets us what we ultimately want: healthy, thriving relationships with those closest to us .  The difference between the two is quite literally life changing. In the former hurt leads to disconnection and distance, wi...

In this episode we delve deep into how we can live more authentic lives, in alignment with our true selves. ‍ Our guest is Maria Camara Serrano, co-director of the Hoffman Institute's international division. In addition to her work leading the Hoffman Institute internationally, Maria is trained in Gestalt Therapy, Mindfulness, and Emotion-Focused Therapy.  She has a PhD in psychology and has been...

In this episode we build on the two part series on consensual non-monogamy by discussing modern family structures and the work underway to support them. Our guests, Alexander Chen and Health Schechinger are both doing remarkable work in this field. In this conversation we discuss: The relationship between consensual non-monogamy and the LGBTQ+ movement What family means Why this is a civil right i...

In this episode Jenny and Jessica discuss: The neurochemisty of lust, attraction, and love Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) and social justice: punitive vs. restorative vs. transformational models How CNM helps us surface and heal trauma and attachment issues How CNM teaches us to change dominant paradigms and stories within us Why CNM leads to a change in consciousness and evolution of the self How...

In this conversation Jenny and Robert discuss: What the optimal zone is and how it relates to our nervous system What the defensive zone is and how it relates to our nervous system How our triggers are amplified by past trauma, agitation from other events of the day, and chronic stress How we can break the cycle of reflexive response when we are triggered and develop new patterns to become less tr...

In this episode Jenny and Jessica cover: The prevalence of infidelity and divorce Issues with the modern love story and codependency What is love?  Ideas from bell hooks and Daniel Schmachtenberger What consensual non monogamy (CNM) is Different variations CNM can take depending on emotional and physical exclusivity Why people practice CNM Best practices: defining your why Best practices: defining...