Blue Sky

David Bornstein has a long history in journalism and founded the Solutions Journalism Network out of his belief that the hard work that people all over the world do to solve tough problems is history's most under-reported story.  His organization trains journalists around the country on how to pursue and write stories not just about our problems, but also on the encouraging solutions emerging to s...

Matt Ridley's seminal book, The Rational Optimist, has inspired many since its publication in 2010 and greatly influenced the creation of The Optimism Institute.  In this far-ranging discussion, Matt will describe an early education that he said was steeped in pessimism but how later in life he found that much of what he'd been taught was simply not true.  This led him to set on a nearly evangelic...

In her new book, The Power of a Few Kind Words , author Tracey Gates tells the story of how she decided to write a handwritten note of appreciation to someone every day, for an entire year.  365 letters later, she's concluded that telling people how much you appreciate them can do as much for your own state of mind as it does for the recipients, and she's encouraging her readers to take up the pra...

Ritah Kabanyoro knows what it's like to go to bed hungry.  Growing up in a household of 20 people, she was used to receiving just one meal a day, until fainting spells alerted others to the malnutrition she was suffering.  After being placed in a private school – and improving her diet, she thrived and today leads Uganda's chapter of Action Against Hunger.  Ritah's home country is the largest reci...

Kevin Adler grew up with a beloved uncle, Mark, who never forgot to send him a Hallmark card on his birthday.  Over time, Kevin learned that his uncle was unhoused and suffering from schizophrenia.  When Mark died at the age of 50, Kevin decided that working to solve the crisis of homelessness would be his life's work.  The experience of having a close relative in this predicament made him realize...

Dr. Howard Koh's story is inspiring. His immigrant parents raised him to be grateful for and contribute to their adopted country.  And he has certainly made his contributions, serving first as a practicing oncologist, then moving into the field of public health.  After treating too many patients who were dying from cancers caused by tobacco use, Howard Koh turned his attention to tobacco cessation...

Adam Mastroianni says he likes to "study how people perceive and misperceive their social worlds, from the person sitting across the table to the whole country buzzing around them."  In this Blue Sky conversation, Dr. Mastroianni describes research he and a colleague conducted that demonstrates that human beings falsely assume that the world used to be better, and that we continue to decline in te...

LaTosha Brown has been described by many as a "force of nature," and from the first seconds of this Blue Sky episode, you will understand why.  Raised in Selma, Alabama she grew up surrounded by family members who were at the center of the civil rights movement in the United States.  Being close to grandparents who spent much of their adult lives unable to vote led her to appreciate this franchise...

Dr. Anita Nowak has made the study of empathy her life's work and in this Blue Sky conversation she provides her definition of the term and gives numerous examples of the value of empathy in both our personal and work lives.  As someone who teaches, consults, podcasts, and writes about this subject, Anita discusses empathy with persuasive passion and just might change the way you think about how y...

Margo Walsh is an entrepreneur who created MaineWorks, a certified B-Corp that helps people with substance use disorder and/or criminal records find employment in the construction sector.  Her company finds and screens potential employees and through the non-profit she founded with her sister, sets them up for success by making sure that their basic needs for getting back to work are met (e.g., pr...

Sean Legister was raised by a strong single mom who put a premium on his education and set him up for success. After completing his degree and playing two sports at a small liberal arts college, he entered the competitive world of Wall Street and continued to thrive. While building his own career, Sean consistently goes above and beyond to lift others up.  In this episode, Sean describes that whil...

Today's Blue Sky guest tells her story from the coast of Maine, but the work she's doing was inspired by her upbringing in Pennsylvania and has ramifications for the future of coastal communities around the world.  Briana Warner is the CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms and has dedicated her life to doing well by doing good. She is passionate about her adopted home state of Maine and working with partner f...

The life of Jonathan Conyers is full of junctures where it appears he's not going to make it.  Both of his parents battled addiction to crack cocaine, yet somehow managed to instill in their son a desire to be educated and advance in the world.  As he grows, Jonathan is surrounded by teachers and mentors who take special interest in him and encourage him to reach high, including "Dico," his transg...

Dr. Robert Soiffer took an interest in medicine at an early age when he played a physician in his first-grade play.  Today, he is a leading physician, researcher, and teacher at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a world leader in oncology.  In this episode, Dr. Soiffer describes the incredible pace of change in the field of cancer research and treatment and the detection tools and cures that are right...

Following a challenging childhood and the tragic death of her father, Kathryn Goetzke decided that the best way to tackle depression and despair is to create reasons for hope.  After studying the issue deeply with experts in psychology, she determined that hope was both teachable and measurable and has made it her life's work to spread this message.   In 2022, she published The Biggest Little Book...

Elizabeth Cousens grew up with an insatiable curiosity about world events.  This early interest has led to a remarkable career of service, including significant roles with the United Nations, both in the New York headquarters and areas of armed conflict like Bosnia and Haiti.  At the United Nations Foundation, she oversees the organization that was formed thanks to Ted Turner's $1 billion contribu...

Alan Patricof began his career in venture capital before the industry even had that name.  Since 1969, he's been seeking out and backing talented entrepreneurs with big ideas and earned his reputation as one of the all-time great investors.  While he's best known for early bets on such successful companies as Apple, Office Depot, Audible, Axios, and many more, he is also a successful investor in f...

When Eddie Ndopu was two years old, his mother was told he wouldn't likely live past five.  Now in his early thirties, Eddie is an internationally-known and Oxford-educated advocate for the rights of the disabled.  In this interview, he shares how his optimistic single mother instilled in Eddie a love of learning and encouraged him to pursue a "life of the mind."  Today, Eddie is world-renowned an...

In this wide-ranging conversation, renowned author and professor Steven Pinker describes that while he resists being called an "optimist," as the label doesn't necessarily suit his temperament, his deep dives into historical data have convinced him that the world is indeed getting better and has been on a steady trajectory since the days of the Enlightenment, the subject of one of his many acclaim...

In this very special episode of Blue Sky, Steve D. tells the remarkable story of his struggle against his son's severe addiction to alcohol. (Steve is not using his full name here to protect his son's anonymity.)  While living what he would describe as a near perfect life – great marriage with his high school sweetheart, dream job, five great children – Steve discovers that his youngest child is s...

Vanessa Cooksey has held a variety of roles at a wide range of organizations — from Cartoon Network to Wells Fargo — and she explains how these all have prepared her to take the helm of the Regional Arts Commission (RAC) of St. Louis.  Vanessa describes in touching detail how a piece of art once literally helped save her life, and how she channels her appreciation for creativity into the work she...

Dan Reicher's interest in and advocacy for environmental protection and clean energy began when he was a child and has continued throughout his life.  In addition to teaching at Stanford University, has served three U.S. presidents, testified before the U.S. Congress more than 50 times, led the launch of Google's pathbreaking climate and clean energy work, oversaw a $1.2 billion annual clean energ...

During her upbringing in Mumbai, India, Jeroo Billimoria's parents taught her to take an active interest in the welfare of everyone in her community.  She was encouraged at the end of every day to ask herself, "How many people have I made smile and how many people have I helped?"  This attitude, combined with a humble leadership style and creative, entrepreneurial spirit has led Jeroo to create a...

Like most neuroscientists, until a little more than thirty years ago, Dr. Richard "Richie'' researched and studied things that go wrong with the brain.  But then, in 1992 he visited the Dalai Lama, who challenged him instead to work on understanding what happens to our brains when we practice kindness and compassion.  This conversation changed the trajectory of Richie's life and career and he will...

One of the biggest complaints people have about their job is the lack of feedback they receive, both positive and negative.  Amy Sandler and the team Radical Candor believe in the power of "caring personally and challenging directly," in valuing colleagues in a meaningful way and not being afraid to challenge them openly and honestly.  The Radical Candor company was founded following the success o...