Participation Trophy

Youth organizers are reshaping democracy from the ground up with a level of purpose and urgency that’s impossible to ignore.   This episode of Participation Trophy takes a clear look at how youth are driving real change through community-based organizing. Topher Williams talks with Dakota Hall of the Alliance for Youth Action, who explains why young people are stepping up in such large numbers and...

What does it really mean to run for office in Texas today? Topher Williams talks with Odus Evbagharu, a millennial organizer and Houston native, about what it takes to fight for working families in a state where politics often feels out of reach.   Odus breaks down how issues like health care, education, and wages shape daily life across Texas and why every campaign should start with those kitchen...

Local elections shape how our communities actually function, from the safety of our streets to the quality of our parks and schools. In this episode, DSPolitical’s Director of Business Development MaryEllen Veliz joins Topher Williams to talk about why those races deserve more of our attention and how democrats can start showing up differently. Why do so few people vote in elections that affect th...

Ever notice how much shame still creeps into the way we talk about love, sex, and relationships - even in supposedly progressive spaces?    Activist, educator, and certified relationship coach Brian Gerald Murphy joins Topher Williams for an honest conversation about what happens when we stop letting shame dictate how we love and start creating relationships built on choice, consent, and curiosity...

Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen talks about leadership in government through a lens that feels anything but abstract. She shares what it was like growing up with a parent struggling with opioid addiction and how that experience shaped the way she thinks about policy, fairness, and the role of congress in people’s everyday lives.   What does it mean to step into an institution built for older, wea...

The fight for truth has never felt more urgent, and few know that better than political journalist Maritsa Georgiou. In this episode, she joins Topher Williams to talk about the realities of journalism in a fractured media landscape, the rise of disinformation, and the Montana roots that shaped her belief in community and integrity.   Maritsa shares how early influences, from her grandfather’s wor...

Montana conservationist Whitney Tawney joins host Topher Williams for a conversation about the messy, meaningful work of protecting public lands and the relationships that make real progress possible.   Raised in Missoula by parents who founded the state’s first environmental lobby, Whitney grew up with a front-row seat to grassroots activism and long-term conservation work. Now a mother herself a...

Bryce Bennett went from a closeted teen in rural Montana to a state legislator who helped repeal Montana’s anti-LGBTQ laws. Now, he’s leading a national movement to make voting more accessible through Vote Early Day.   Topher Williams sits down with Bryce to trace the throughline of his life: a deep belief in democracy, a commitment to visibility, and an unshakable drive to make change. Bryce shar...

Can you really lead a movement in sparkly boots and a big hat? And more importantly, shouldn’t you?   This week on Participation Trophy, Topher Williams sits down with Charlie Bonner, a fierce advocate for democracy who cut his teeth organizing in Texas and now brings that same energy to his work in the UK. From middle school civics class to testifying at the Capitol, Charlie’s path to leadership...

Karen Pandy-Cherry didn’t wait for someone to hand her a megaphone, she picked it up herself. Raised in Belize and now leading from Tulsa’s historic Black Wall Street, Karen shares how early lessons in family, service, and leadership shaped her path to becoming the President and CEO of New Leaders Council. Her approach to leadership is rooted in building power and making sure others have access to...

HeadCount is turning concerts into launchpads for civic action by making voter registration as common as buying a band tee. In this episode, Topher Williams chats with Lucille Wenegieme, the Executive Director at HeadCount, about how music, culture, and civic engagement all show up in the same place, and why that matters more than ever. Lucille shares how her Nigerian-American upbringing shaped he...

Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of gun violence and the Pulse nightclub attack. Brandon Wolf, activist and National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, shares how surviving the 2016 Pulse Nightclub mass shooting transformed his life, and why he’s dedicated himself to fighting for LGBTQ+ safety, belonging, and justice. On this episode of Participation Trophy, Brandon j...

Most of America’s political power sits in the hands of people nearly twice the median age, but Amanda Litman is working to change that by helping a new generation step into office. Topher Williams talks with Amanda about the age gap in American leadership and what it means for the future of the country. Why are so few elected officials under 40? What happens when the same people hold power for dec...

Two powerhouse organizers are flipping the script on Utah politics by proving that even the reddest states can be ripe for progressive change. Topher Williams is joined by Jackie Morgan and Gabi Finlayson, the co-founders of Elevate Strategies, for a conversation that challenges the way we think about political possibility in places like Utah. If a state has been red for decades, does that mean it...

Join host Topher Williams as he sits down with Millennial do-gooders and changemakers on an unfiltered and (extremely) unscientific quest to discover if participation trophies actually made Millennials unstoppable.