ResponseABLE with Professor Nikki James

This episode marks the six-month milestone of ResponsABLE. Nikki hops on the mic today to reflect on her podcasting journey. She shares the evolution of ResponABLE's mission and vision and as well as her key learnings so far.  As mentioned in the episode, learn more about Systems Theory and Actor-Network Theory in the attached links. To learn more about ResponseABLE, check out the website www...

Natasha and Ian Miller are the founders of Siyazana , an organization which empowers young people in South Africa with education, mentorship, and resources. While Siyazna does a variety of work, their goal is to “cultivate agents of change who will challenge prevailing socio-economic norms and inspire subsequent generations.” In this episode, you’ll hear about how Siyazana began, along with Ian an...

Clayton Jardine is young leader, community builder, and social impact worker based in Cape Town, South Africa. In this episode, Nikki and Clayton sit down to Clayton's journey from being a student to working in social impact. From the way he's made the most of challenging moments, to his creative problem solving in both personal and professional life, listeners are sure to take something...

Marisa Moloto's path led her path from speech therapy, to public health , to consulting to social entrepreneurship, and to eventually founding Lefika Foundation in 2018, a social innovation consultancy that specializes in transformative social cohesion. In this episode. Maurisa and Nikki discuss everything from Maurisa's winding path, to the blossoming of their friendship, to how they bo...

Yolisa Palesa Tsoaeli is a photographer, storyteller, and UX designer, but she is also so much more. At her core, Yolisa has a passion for people which is revealed in all of the work that she does. In this episode, Yolisa and Nikki sit down in Cape Town to discuss Yolisa's journey so far, her reflections on being two years post-grad, and her hopes for the future. Yolisa's vivacious spiri...

Barry Lewis is an architect from London turned social-entrepreneur based in Cape Town, South Africa. He is the founder of UBU Homes, an organization which creates fireproof, bullet-resistant, thermally efficient homes and spaces of belonging. In their conversation, Nikki and Barry discuss Barry's switch from commercial work to impact work in architecture and Barry shares how he found himself...

Liana Christy is a Massachusetts native and distinguished professional in the dental sales industry. In this episode, Nikki and Liana sit down to discuss how Liana knew this was the right path for her and the steps that led her to success. Mentorship, trust, and building confidence one day at a time all emerge as themes in Liana's story.  To stay connected with Liana and learn more about her...

This week Nikki has on a former student (Aishu) as well as her employer (Robin), who is also a great friend of Nikki's. Robin and Aishu both work for the New England Employee Benefits Council ( NEEBC ), a non-profit that educates, supports, and even sponsors employees and employers across the region.  The conversation highlights both sides of the hiring journey an is especially valuable given...

Teona Zak is an LA-based singer-songwriter who graduated from Boston's Berklee College of music in 2023. Her story involves grace, grit, and a decision to be in the right place at the right time. In this episode, Nikki and Teona chat about life on the East and West coast, unpacking how there is a purpose for both. They also discuss what it's been like for Teona to experience  the music i...

Neeraj is a Northeastern Alumni who now works at Bloomberg in New York City. With experience from financial services, to tech, to social innovation, Neeraj offers insightful and actionable job search tips, many of which led him to where he is today.  In this episode Nikki and Neeraj sit down to talk about post-grad life, takeaways from co-op experiences, the job search process, and how to make the...

Jessie Wang is a former student of Nikki's who graduated from Northeastern in 2024. During her last year at Northeastern she decided to bet on herself and apply to grad school. She ended up getting her Masters Degree and studying across the world through NYU.  In this episode Nikki and Jessie discuss the limits that we put on ourselves and the mindset it takes to overcome them. Jessie shares...

Shauna Orandi is a recent Northeastern graduate, a former student of Nikki's, and an all around rockstar in academics, work, and as a advocate for sustainability. In the conversation today, Nikki and Shauna celebrate Earth Day by chatting outdoors and enjoying the LA sunshine. Shauna discusses her post-grad journey, aspirations for the future, and many insightful lessons she's learned al...

This week didn't quite go as planned — and honestly, that became the episode. A last-minute situation meant that two weeks of carefully planned content was no longer going to air, and I found myself navigating the emotional rollercoaster that comes with getting the wind knocked out of you unexpectedly. In this solo episode, I share what that experience was actually like, what I learned from i...

Anjali Laddha is a student, founder, and inspiration to both peers and fellow entrepreneurs. She is a 4th year student of Nikki's at Northeastern University, but has taken a unique path to reach the point which she is at today, the founder of Degree2Destiny , an AI-powered startup focused on creating AI literacy for students across India.  In this episode, Nikki and Anjali discuss Anjali&apos...

Juan Miguel Campos Ulate is a former soccer athlete turned workplace leader at Accenture. He has lived, worked, and played soccer in both Costa Rica and the United States and has reached great success in each of his endeavors. In this episode Juan Miguel and Nikki sit down to discuss the though lines in his journey—hard work and action over luck and opportunity. While his story didn't go the...

Emily Snowberger is a marketer, friend, human-rights-advocate, and certified pickleballer. While she now leads marketing for the anti-human-trafficking non-profit A21 , her path has led her across industries from fashion to higher education. She has also lived and worked across continents.  In this episode, Nikki and returning guest Nora Shepard chat with Emily about how she's gotten to where...

Priya and Dylan are both Northeastern University alumni navigating a their early careers and making meaning along the way. Nikki sits down with the two of them to talk about how they got to where they are and some of the best lessons they would share with students who are just a few years behind them. The episode highlights the importance of taking the career journey one step at a time and truly l...

Loredana Padurean is an associate professor at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business, where she teaches and researches entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation alongside Nikki. She is also global public speaker whose path you will hear in today's episode. She embodies the themes she discusses like "confidence though competency," and her commitment...

Julie Meyer is a founder, podcaster, mentor, and professor at Northeastern University in the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship program with Nikki. Julie and Nikki sit down to chat about Julie’s path which has led her from Chicago, to Shanghai, to Boston. Julie discusses how taking advice from like minded individuals and noticing the green lights along her path has led her to some of her most...

Giselle Le'aupepe Bruce is a longtime friend of Nikki who is, like her, tri-continental and deeply involved in many communities. Even though Giselle has worked across hospitality, music, management, and ceramics, she remains true to her inner-compass which points to relating, connecting, and communicating. In this episode, Nikki and Giselle discuss how they’ve each built up the courage to mak...

Tylea Herweynen is television presenter, mother, American expat living in Australia, and long-time friend of Nikki. In this episode Nikki and Tylea discuss the twists and turns of Tylea's journey, and how every "yes" led her down the path of becoming who she is today. The episode emphasizes embracing change, self-advocacy, and friendship amid life’s challenges. To connect with Tylea...

In this episode of the Responsable podcast, I dive deep into the second half of my captivating conversation with Mark Tipple, as we explore the evolution of our journeys from youthful uncertainty to the more refined paths we've crafted in our early 30s. Picking up from our previous discussion, we reflect on transformational experiences, starting with our memorable trip to Tanzania right aroun...

Mark Tipple is a father, documentary filmmaker, photographer, teacher, and storyteller. Over the last 25 years, he has grappled with finding his niche, balancing pursuing his pursuit of purpose, healing from his past, and telling some pretty incredible stories about people and causes he cares deeply about.  My life and work collided with Mark's in 2008, and my life has been richer for it. In...

Nora Shepard is a recent university graduate, three months into her first full-time job. In this episode, Nora shares candidly about the impact she wants to make in the world, the transition from journalism to entrepreneurship she made while at university, and the ups and downs of the post-university recruitment process.  It takes tremendous courage to share your learning while it is still so fres...

Last week, we met Richard Gorvett, the founder of Deep Wave and one of Nikki's oldest Social Impact partners in crime. We pick up the story as Richard is making a career pivot from creating systems of support for social entrepreneurs to bringing the wisdom from the field into the corporate environment.  This episode is full of gratitude as we discuss some of the people who have positively imp...