Smart, Amazing Conversations with Dr. Nancy

Co-founder of Unfurl Futures and founder of the global network World Pulse, Jensine Larsen, and Dr. Nancy discuss the purpose of Larsen’s leadership in connecting the untapped human potential of women and girls to create a more powerful force. She describes how privileged she feels to have worked with so many grassroots women leaders from every country in the world, digitally and in person, and le...

Dr. Nancy and Sheena Katz, strategic partnerships leader for World Pulse, discuss the importance of the global social impact network, which brings women and allies together to share grassroots stories, access resources, collaborate, and ultimately create real-world impact. Katz describes the origin of the organization as providing a safe place where women could share their experiences and be heard...

Asha Dahya, award-winning filmmaker and storyteller, sits down with Dr. Nancy to discuss the power of storytelling to change culture and how she has used that power in recent projects. Inspired to tell stories by her immigrant family’s colorful heritage, and not hearing those stories in the media or seeing anyone who looked like her while growing up in Australia, Asha embarked on a career in enter...

Kim Villanueva, President of the National Organization for Women (NOW), sits down with Dr. Nancy for an in-depth perspective on the power of sisterhood, feminism, the founding of NOW, and how it serves today’s women. Dr. Nancy stresses the relationship of organizations like Women Connect4Good and NOW during the current attacks on women, and Villanueva agreed, saying, “Sisterhood is powerful. We ne...

Dr. Nancy sits down with William He, founder of Dream for America, to learn how he feels about democracy and why he launched the nonprofit/social-profit organization at 16 years old. He recalls feeling compelled to contribute to democracy and do his part to help his generation find purpose in politics rather than cynicism. He wanted to give young people a place to contribute and fight back against...

Maggie O’Neill, award-winning artist and founder of Vote for Your Daughter and Our Daughters’ Futures Fund , joins Dr. Nancy in a discussion about the FEMME Art Fair August 26-30, with a sneak peek available for attendees of Take The Lead’s Power Up Concert and Conference, August 25 and 26 , Women’s Equality Day, the 106th anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed wo...

Julia Stewart, founder and CEO of Alurx, joins Dr. Nancy for a discussion about her career path, forging a place for herself as a business leader in the hospitality industry, eventually becoming CEO at IHOP, then buying Applebee’s and creating Dine Brands Global. Her story traces what happens when barriers to advancement appear, and the choice is to endure or leave to keep growing. Stewart chose t...

Lifelong broadcaster Ann Thomas joins Dr. Nancy in a conversation about her journey as a professional woman in a field that has seen numerous changes for women since she began as an intern at WJR 760 in Detroit. Lucky to be in a business that she instantly loved, Thomas pursued her dream in many capacities as producer, news reporter, anchor, executive producer of the award-winning “Paul W. Smith S...

Welcome to Smart, Amazing Conversations with Dr. Nancy , a podcast that examines the stories of life and leadership for smart, amazing women (and men). Each episode features powerful conversations with people who are changing the world and making a difference in their communities. Our guests share their personal stories, insights, and advice on how to break through barriers and achieve success and...

This episode is all about the future and how we can support the young leaders who will shape it. Highlights from previous interviews with inspiring changemakers show the work that’s being done to empower and equip today’s youth to become leaders and create the change they want to see in the world. Show Notes: First, DeNora Getachew and Keely Quinn, leaders of DoSomething.org, discuss how their org...

Today we’re exploring one of the most powerful forces for connection and change - the stories we tell and the ones we choose to preserve. Throughout history, stories have shaped our understanding of who we are and what’s possible. But too often, the voices of women, changemakers, and diverse communities have been overlooked or forgotten. In this episode, Dr. Nancy revisits some of our favorite con...

Dr. Nancy welcomes four powerful young activists fighting for women’s rights. First, Asha Dahya and Monica Morales-Garcia stop by to talk about their podcast series, “Green Tide Rising.” Borrowing the title from the Green Wave, a movement started by feminists and organizers across Latin America to champion reproductive freedoms, the podcast features a human rights attorney and shares the stories o...

Dr. Nancy welcomes Mona Sinha, CEO of Equality Now, who shares her journey from growing up in India and volunteering with Mother Teresa’s all-girls orphanage, to learning the value of women supporting women at Smith College, to leading a global organization that drives the legal and systemic change needed to end violence and discrimination against all women and girls. Sinha discusses the rising ch...

Dr. Denise Dunning joins the conversation to share her transformative journey as the founder of Rise Up Together, an organization dedicated to the global empowerment of women and girls by supporting local leaders in solving problems and driving impactful change. Dr. Dunning discusses the challenges women face in accessing resources and power, emphasizing the need for collective action and solidari...

Dr. Nancy welcomes Dr. Krishauna Hines-Gaither, a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and women’s empowerment, to discuss her inspiring journey from North Carolina to Los Angeles. Dr. Hines-Gaither shares how mentors, like her mother and other influential women in her life, shaped her path and ignited her mission to advance gender equity through women’s education. She highlights the transfo...

Dr. Nancy welcomes The Honorable Carolyn B. Maloney, former U.S. Congresswoman, to share her inspiring journey of public service, focusing on her unwavering commitment to gender equality and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). She discusses her upcoming “Driving the Vote for Women’s Equality” campaign, modeled after historic suffragist efforts, to raise awareness and mobilize support for the ERA. Re...

Dr. Nancy welcomes Francine Mbvoumbo, founder of Mothers to Daughters, for an inspiring conversation about empowering women through intergenerational mentorship and support. Mbvoumbo shares her journey, highlighting how her upbringing and her mother’s entrepreneurial spirit shaped her mission to lift women up. She discusses the alarming lack of funding for women and girls, the importance of resili...

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Dr. Nancy welcomes Michelle Milford Morse, Vice President for Girls and Women Strategy at the United Nations Foundation, for an inspiring conversation about advancing global gender equality. Milford Morse shares how her Texas roots and influential women leaders have shaped her journey, and highlights the UN Foundation’s critical role in fostering global cooperation to address challenges such as ge...

Dr. Nancy sits down with David G. Smith, PhD, a sociologist, author, and leading expert on the benefits male allies bring to women in the workplace. Sharing his unique journey from Navy pilot alongside his wife to be to passionate advocate for male allyship and gender equity in the workplace. It was through her experiences, especially surrounding a lack of mentor and resources that transformed the...

Dr. Nancy welcomes Heidi Sieck and Dr. Nicole Haggard for a powerful compilation on the topic of equality. Sieck shares her insights on the decades-long political strategy to limit reproductive freedom, and its critical role in empowering women to step into leadership. She also weighs in on the importance of local political engagement to protect these rights. Haggard highlights the necessity of in...

Dr. Nancy welcomes Janine Firpo, investor, author of Activate Your Money, and co-founder of Invest for Better. Firpo shares the story of her unconventional path from tech and international development to pioneering values-aligned investing for everyday women. She introduces the Sheconomy, a collaborative national campaign that reframes what’s possible when women control capital and create impact w...

Dr. Nancy welcomes Natalie Byrne, founder of the impact strategy firm blank space and the social profit blank space collaborative. Byrne shares her journey from journalism to advising global leaders, brands, and philanthropists on activating their purpose. She details the launch of BE Human at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative to re-center humanity in the age of AI. Byrne discusse...

Dr. Nancy welcomes Sara Lomelin, founding CEO of Philanthropy Together and a global catalyst for democratizing philanthropy. Lomelin shares her journey from her childhood in Mexico City to becoming a visionary leader, named to the TIME100 Philanthropy list and Forbes 50 Over 50 for her work expanding the power of collective giving. She explains how giving circles—groups of people who pool their re...

Dr. Nancy welcomes Andreas Pettersson, author of Power Without Permission and longtime advocate for women’s leadership. Having been raised by a single mother in Sweden where equality is the norm, he expresses his shock at finding such extreme inequality in leadership in the U.S. He shares how his life’s mission has become focused on empowering women and challenging self-doubt and imposter syndrome...