Art of Citizenry

What happens when the way we make sense of the world is mediated by platforms designed to reward speed, outrage, and attention? In this episode of Art of Citizenry , host Manpreet Kaur Kalra speaks with Dr. Kate Starbird, professor at the University of Washington and co-founder of the UW Center for an Informed Public. They discuss rumors, misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories, AI-gen...

Patagonia is a vast region spanning southern Chile and Argentina. It is also the name of a multibillion-dollar outdoors company that has spent more than 50 years turning the region’s landscapes and mythology into a symbol of wilderness and adventure. Now, Patagonia Inc. is suing drag queen and climate activist Pattie Gonia for trademark infringement and dilution. But beneath all the legal question...

Instant Pot didn’t just go bankrupt, it became another casualty of private equity’s complex financial maneuvers. In this episode of our series The Private Equity Playbook , host Manpreet Kaur Kalra and collaborator Anna Canning trace how one of the most beloved kitchen gadgets of the 2010s became a textbook case of everything private equity does to the things we own, the places we live, and the co...

We're taught to think of economics as an objective truth. But what if economics isn't neutral at all? What if it's a story shaped by power and by a history that has been carefully edited? A story that celebrates innovation and progress while quietly erasing extraction, exploitation, and the violence behind how wealth became concentrated geographically. In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast ,...

In December 2025, the University of Utah became the first major college athletic program to take private equity investment, spinning off its commercial operations into a for-profit company. Half a billion dollars and a public university now answering to Wall Street. In this episode of our series The Private Equity Playbook, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by collaborator Anna Canning to trace h...

Starbucks built its brand on the idea of the “third place.” But over the past decade, the company has quietly unraveled the very conditions that made that promise possible. In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast , Manpreet Kaur Kalra speaks with Megan Erickson, a Philadelphia-based barista and member of Starbucks Workers United, about the growing labor movement inside Starbucks. Together, the...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is often framed as a technological breakthrough. But behind the headlines is a deeper question: who owns the infrastructure shaping how we communicate, create, and understand truth? In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast, we slow down the AI conversation to ask harder questions – not just about what these systems can do, but who built them, who profits from them,...

In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast , Manpreet Kaur Kalra speaks with Minnesota State Senator Erin Maye Quade from the epicenter of ICE’s siege. Across Minnesota, intensified immigration operations have made daily life unsafe and unpredictable, destabilizing families and threatening people’s basic autonomy and human rights. From masked agents going door to door and idling near schools to r...

JOANN (forever “Joann Fabrics” in our hearts) didn’t just “go out of business,” it was engineered to collapse. In this episode of our series The Private Equity Playbook, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by collaborator Anna Canning to trace how a beloved craft-store chain went from being a hub for makers to a debt-loaded financial instrument.  This isn’t a story about changing consumer tastes or...

Impact investing is often framed as a win–win: do good, generate a positive social or environmental impact while still earning a financial return. But what does that actually look like in practice and who carries the risk when things don’t go as planned?  In this episode of Art of Citizenry, Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by Dr. Peter Hinton, impact investor and Associate Fellow at Oxford’s Saïd Bu...

Coffee, Silicon Valley, and… George W. Bush's former roommate? In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by long-time collaborator Anna Canning as they kick off a new series on private equity by tracing what happens when big finance meets something as everyday as your morning cup of coffee. Philz Coffee made headlines earlier this year when the iconic San Fran...

Storytelling shapes how we see the world, and our place in it. The stories we tell and the ones we choose to believe define our understanding of truth, power, and belonging. They decide whose pain is seen, whose resistance is remembered, and whose voices are erased. In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined in conversation with Noor Tagouri . Together, they in...

October marks both Fair Trade Month and National Co-op Month – a fitting moment to examine how global trade policies are reshaping the landscape for ethical businesses. In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast , host Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by Nicole Vitello, Vice President at Equal Exchange , a worker-owned co-operative with the mission to build long-term fair trade partnerships that are...

In this episode of the Art of Citizenry Podcast, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by author Elaine U. Cho in conversation about her new sci-fi novel Teo’s Durumi. Together they unpack techno-orientalism – exploring how her work contends with capitalism, colonialism, and identity – and why using our unique lens in art matters now more than ever. This episode invites you to think critically about...

In this episode of the Art of Citizenry Podcast , host Manpreet Kaur Kalra and producer Aly Honoré take a step back from the headlines to explore what they reveal about the state of American democracy, culture, and free speech.  From the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live and mass doxing campaigns reminiscent of McCarthyism, to the militarization of cities and the campaign to “Free Ben & Jerry’s,” th...

H.R. 1, the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, expands the Deportation Industrial Complex, allocating more than 170 billion dollars over four years for border and interior enforcement, with the explicit goal of deporting 1 million immigrants every single year. Behind those staggering numbers lies another story: who profits. Among the biggest winners are private equity firms and the billionaire...

Is there a place for justice movements inside the confines of capitalism? In this episode of the Art of Citizenry Podcast , Manpreet Kalra is joined by Dr. Marcia Chatelain, historian and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America . Together, we dig into the intersections of civil rights, economic justice, and corporate accountability, exploring how the...

A request to invest in the podcast. Art of Citizenry is a community supported podcast dedicated to reframing the issues of our time and collective liberation. Being listener-supported allows use to have unfiltered and nuanced conversations to really identify ways we can build a more equitable future, one that is restorative and just.  So, if you believe in what we’re building here—if you believe t...

In this special, more casual, episode of the Art of Citizenry Podcast, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined in conversation by show producer, Aly Honoré as they dive into news stories that say a great deal about the state of American democracy, culture, and press freedom. From a $16 million “settlement” between Paramount and the Trump administration that raises red flags for journalistic independenc...

The genocide unfolding in Gaza is being sustained by corporate interests. In this episode, we unmask the corporations and governments underpinning Israeli occupation by diving into the findings of a landmark report by United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. Since the assaults on Gaza began, the Tel Aviv stock exchange has risen by 179%. Titled "From economy of occupation to economy o...

In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on social entrepreneurship – not to dismiss its promise, but to grapple with its pitfalls and benefits. Social entrepreneurship has emerged as a popular model for those seeking to tackle social issues by reimagining business for good. But the rise in its popularity requires us to pause for deeper reflection on how the model is used, who is included,...

This week, while we take a break, we found it timely and important to recast this episode: Criminalization of Immigration with Anthony Enriquez. In episode 19 of Art of Citizenry Podcast, Manpreet is joined by Anthony Enriquez, the VP of U.S. Advocacy and Litigation at RFK Human Rights. Together, they discuss the complexities of immigration detention in the U.S., focusing on the financial motivati...

From slavery to Jim Crow, from colonial conquest to today's global labor exploitation—racism has always been foundational to capitalism. But what exactly is racial capitalism, and how does it continue to shape our economy and daily lives? In this episode, Manpreet Kaur Kalra sits down with renowned historian Robin D. G. Kelley to unravel how capitalism has always been a racialized and gendered col...

In this episode, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra invites listeners into a reflective and urgent conversation about the enduring legacy of "divide and rule," one of colonialism’s most insidious and effective strategies of domination. Often treated as a historical tactic, divide-and-rule remains deeply embedded in today’s global systems, from political polarization to economic dependency. Manpreet reflects...

If you caught Episode 25 , you know the story: approximately 250 Guatemalan garment workers are still owed $500,000 in severance from Lucky Brand after the closure of the Industrial Hana factory. But what started as a case study in wage theft quickly revealed something bigger—how private equity is transforming fashion supply chains behind the scenes. In this follow-up episode, Manpreet Kaur Kalra...