Essential Leadership to End Poverty

In this compelling episode of Essential Leadership to End Poverty, host Scott Miller sits down with Lottie Ryans (Director of Workforce and Literacy Initiatives) and Leslie Thompson (Grant Manager) from First Tennessee Development District to explore their groundbreaking Strong Families program—one of seven $25 million pilot initiatives funded by Tennessee's Department of Human Services. Discover...

In this episode, we explore what it takes to build thriving communities that work for everyone. Former Cookeville, Tennessee Mayor Ricky Shelton shares insights from his eight years leading a city of 35,000 that sits at the heart of Tennessee's Upper Cumberland region. Key Topics: How regional collaboration beats competition in economic development The "rising tide lifts all boats" approach to att...

When Tennessee invested $175 million in seven regional pilots to transform how families move from public assistance to sustainable employment, it became the largest anti-poverty experiment of its kind. Now, two and a half years in, the results are surprising—and the lessons are invaluable. In this episode, host Scott Miller sits down with Kaki Reynolds, Senior Director of Economic Mobility at Unit...

In this inspiring episode, Becky Tsadilas, COO of the Poverty Solution, sits down with Rachael Corry—an Eligibility Counselor for the Tennessee Department of Human Services and a member of the Families First Community Advisory Board—to talk about her powerful personal journey from surviving poverty to serving those still in it. Rachael shares what it was like growing up on public assistance, becom...

In this episode of the Essential Leadership to End Poverty Podcast, our host Scott Miller sits down with Commissioner Clarence Carter—one of the boldest leaders in human services reform—to unpack a lifetime of leadership lessons, from high school walkouts to national policy change. Commissioner Carter shares his "baptism by fire" into leadership, the uncomfortable truths about poverty systems, and...

In this episode of Essential Leadership to End Poverty, host Scott Miller sits down with Michael Aikens, Assistant Vice President for Economic Development at Tennessee Tech, to explore the driving force behind Empower Upper Cumberland. More than just a program, Empower UC is a comprehensive initiative that unites innovation, education, and grassroots leadership to spark long-term economic growth i...

In this thought-provoking episode of Essential Leadership to End Poverty, co-host Scott C. Miller sits down with Lisa C. Uhrik—a developmental psychologist, entrepreneur, and co-owner of Franklin Fixtures—to explore how literacy can serve as a powerful tool in the fight against generational poverty. Lisa shares how her business supports 80% of America's independent bookstores and how her nonprofit...

In this episode of Essential Leadership to End Poverty, host Scott Miller is joined by Ryan Barnhart, Director of the Highlands Training Center—one of Empower Upper Cumberland's pioneering partner programs. Together, they unpack what it truly takes to disrupt cycles of generational poverty through leadership that's grounded in trust, accountability, and action. Key topics include: – Building soft...

In this high-impact episode of Essential Leadership to End Poverty , host and founder Scott C. Miller sits down with Megan Spurgeon , Director of Empower in Cookeville, TN—one of the key innovators behind Tennessee's $25 million TANF Pilot. Together, they pull back the curtain on what's truly working to end poverty in Tennessee. From deploying economic stability teams to launching family-centered...

What if we stopped managing poverty—and started ending it? In this game-changing episode of Essential Leadership to End Poverty , Scott C. Miller—founder and national anti-poverty leader—sits down with Mark Farley, Executive Director of UCDD and Empower UC, to reveal what's actually working inside Tennessee's bold $25 million TANF Pilot. Together, they take you behind the scenes of a statewide eff...

Welcome to Essential Leadership to End Poverty —the podcast where bold voices challenge broken systems and chart a new course toward true economic mobility. In this powerful kickoff episode, co-hosts Scott C. Miller, founder of The Poverty Solution, and Becky Tsadilas, Chief Operating Officer, introduce listeners to the mission behind the mic: spotlighting the people, programs, and policy shifts t...