One Humanity Lab: Into an Ecology of Wholeness

This episode of the One Humanity Lab Podcast is for leaders, coaches, and changemakers who care about economic justice, systems change, and the power of deep listening. Guest hosts Mia Cellucci and Pauline de Castelnau welcome Mercedes Bidart, CEO and Co‑founder of Quipu, a social enterprise using AI and alternative data models to provide equitable credit access for micro‑entrepreneurs in Latin Am...

This episode of the One Humanity Lab Podcast is for leaders, coaches, and changemakers who are curious about how innovation, imagination, and deep listening can transform the way we lead ourselves and others. Guest hosts Pauline de Castelnau and Mia Cellucci welcome Lynne Cuppernull , leadership coach and co-founder of the SparkLit Group , for a rich and playful conversation on whole-person leader...

This episode of the One Humanity Lab Podcast is a must-listen for anyone curious about the intersection of leadership, inner growth, and collective transformation, and how the One Humanity Lab is cultivating leaders for a world in transition.   In this special episode kicking off Season 3, guest hosts Pauline de Castelnau and Mia Cellucci turn the tables on the usual hosts, Dr. Ina Gjikondi a...

We sat down with Dr. Natalie Houghtby-Haddon , a longtime colleague of both Bonnie and Ina through the George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (GW CEPL). Our conversation began with her new role as Executive Director of the Center, stepping in at a time of transition and uncertainty. For more than two decades, the Center has focused largely on federal government lea...

Meet Tamala Floyd , whose deep commitment to healing spans over 25 years. In our conversation, Tamala shares her journey from traditional social work and teaching to pioneering accessible paths for emotional healing, particularly for women navigating trauma, mothering, and relationship challenges. We began our conversation by discussing Tamala’s latest book, Listening When Parts Speak , and explor...

Meet Nicolás García Mayor —an entrepreneur and, truly, an ingénue—who took years of experience in industrial design and channeled it into something far greater. From the start, he knew he was meant to do more for his fellow human beings. Transitioning from corporate design to humanitarian development, Nico applied his engineering and design background to improve communities around the world. &nbsp...

Meet Director Thennie Freeman , the powerhouse behind the DC Department of Parks and Recreation , who most recently launched the innovative Youth Development Professional Certification Program in partnership with the GW Center for Excellence in Public Leadership. But first, how did she get to this point—where she’s empowering other leaders to inspire youth in the workforce today? Director Freeman’...

Meet Gizem Salcigil White , aka the Turkish Coffee Lady! She is the Founder & CEO of Turkish Coffee Lady , the first and only authentic Turkish coffee brand in the U.S., dedicated to building a global community of coffee explorers and empowering women. With a brick-and-mortar coffee house in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, Gizem has created a space to share 500 years of Turkish coffee tradition...

With a clear vision for empowering women, we are joined on the podcast by author and speaker, Leslie Grossman , a trailblazer in leadership, gender equality, and women's empowerment. After decades of coaching and mentoring women leaders in America, Leslie is now largely focused on helping women gain sight of and reach their vision. Her interest in the topic of vision and vision formation stems fro...

We are joined by Rebecca Henson , Founder and Director of the Springsong Museum in Silver Spring, Maryland, which promises to be a world-class community museum dedicated to the life and legacy of Rachel Carson. With a background in history and environmental policy, and as a Silver Spring local, Rebecca tells us about Rachel Carson—a writer, biologist, and Montgomery County resident who is often re...

Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes has dedicated her career to public service and currently serves as the Director of the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services, leading a robust team. Throughout our conversation, she shares insights on balancing her career and motherhood—a challenge faced by many parents, especially women, every day. While some may avoid the topic of managing both children...

Meet Henry Shukman , poet, author, and Zen master. We begin our conversation by exploring how Henry navigates his life, both inwardly and outwardly, with a deep commitment to mindfulness. Henry shares insights on being present in the world and how his various life paths often merge, guided by his body's inclination towards creativity, especially poetry.   Starting from his early experiences,...

If you ask Tara Palacios about her passion for small businesses and entrepreneurship, she may answer you, “Small business is my schtick.” With a background in marketing and PR in the private sector and a stint helping her father reinvent his own career, Tara followed her gut, moving to a role where she could use her honed skills to help businesses in the community grow. After joining Arlington Cou...

Life often leads us down unexpected paths, a truth Kwelli Sneed knows all too well. A graduate of the GWU e-Co Leadership Coaching Program, she now serves as the interim director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety Engagement. Initially joining as Chief of Staff during tumultuous times in the District of Columbia, Kwelli assumed the role of Director following the tragic passing of her friend and...

Ever feel helpless about the state of the world? Investigative journalist Roberta Baskin discusses her shift to finding hopeful stories about businesses creating positive social and environmental impact. She talks about Aim2Flourish , a program she helped to start, and where students discover these companies and write stories that focus on the UN Global Goals. Roberta emphasizes the importance of...

All change starts with us; even that one little step has the power to create a profound transformation to the larger system. This is just one of the many pieces of wisdom that the Queen of Systems Thinking, Darcy Winslow , imparts to us in this episode. As the Founding President (2010-2020) and co-founder of the Academy for Systems Change , Darcy shares the insights she gained from her extensive c...

Equipping the younger generation with environmental awareness and a deep fascination for nature might be our best bet at keeping the planet livable for the foreseeable future. We don’t see a lot of people doing that right now, but those who do are doing it in incredibly innovative and inspiring ways. Today’s guest makes such an impact in this regard. Frank Sesno is the executive director of the GW...

Spiritual practice isn't just personal; it's the collective heartbeat for global healing and transformation. In this episode, organization executive Jim Robinson discusses the depth of how aligning with spiritual energy can drive personal healing and global change. He talks about how the mind, body, and spirit are connected and how his visualization practices helped him get better during a health...

In a world that is run by numbers and views people as parts of a machine, it can be so easy to lose ourselves and connect to what matters. Adriana Machado fills in the missing piece that connects the corporate world with purpose: systems thinking. Adriana is one of Latin America’s most celebrated women business leaders and an outspoken advocate in the impact economy space. She is a former CEO of G...

“The whole leader demands the whole person— body, mind and soul. And that that is also true of community.” Today’s guest believes in this wholeheartedly, and it guides her in fulfilling her purpose. Ina Gjikondi and Bonnie Buckner join in an inspiring conversation with Deborah Rundlett , a practical Mystic who guides leaders and their teams in connecting with their inner wisdom and purpose. Debbie...

We are all on an ever-going journey of self-transformation.  Angela Franco  has been transforming herself from the inside-out along with the communities she has been a part of. Throughout her journey, she found herself constantly being guided by her passion for helping others. This passion took her from Bogota to Washington, DC, where she is now the President and CEO of the  DC Cham...

Associate professor and healing touch practitioner Julia Storberg-Walker is an alumna of the e-Co Leadership Coaching Certification at George Washington University. In this conversation with Ina Gjikondi and Bonnie Buckner, she opens up on how it impacted her profession and reoriented her everyday life. Julia talks about rediscovering her young self, gaining a deeper understanding of her purpose,...

Becoming an effective leader is not just about charisma and authority but also wisdom and intellect. Senior Organization Development Consultant Karen Wilhelm Buckley of Communicore Consulting sits down with Ina Gjikondi and Bonnie Buckner to talk about cultivating wise leadership. She explains how this requires inner commitment to always take action with intention, purpose, and authenticity. Karen...

The best leaders understand that they don’t have the answers to everything. They are in that place of curiosity and exploration, just like our guest in this episode. As Senior Vice President, of the West Region at The Coca-Cola Company,  Kathy Twells  currently leads a multi-million dollar business cultivating innovation and mutual growth for Coca-Cola’s customer partners. Today, she joi...

One of the great things about coaching is how it helps us see beyond the surface and unearth the things inside us that we never thought were causing us stress or even pain. Coach, leader, and visionary  Sook Yee Tai  is all about helping people see the world from a different lens, leading them to a profound way of seeing themselves and the world. Prior to this extraordinary mission, Sook...