Social Impact Leader

The Plywood Podcast is back with a new season! In this episode, the Plywood team shares what we’ve been learning, reading, and what to look forward to in future episodes. Are you ready for season 3? Take a listen now! __ Welcome to the Plywood Podcast: Real talk for social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. Plywood is a nonprofit in Atlanta leading a community of startups doing good. Over the pa...

Jeff Shinabarger, the host of Plywood Podcast and founder of Plywood People, sits down and gives us raw and unedited Pro Tips on how to navigate making difficult decisions as a leader. Whether you're maneuvering through a  cash crunch, being honest about the reality of your brand, or pivoting the direction of your business, all leaders could use some encouragement during these times. If you can re...

Do you know anyone who's summited, Mount Everest?  We do! Joining us on today's podcast is Thomas Moore, one member of Full Circle Everest, the first all-Black team to attempt and summit the highest mountain on earth. Thomas walks us through his journey of climbing Mt. Everest as well as the mental preparation that came with it. Thomas shares how his passion for travel landed him on a Kilimanjaro...

Jeff and Kayla sit down and chat with social entrepreneur, author, and founder of So Worth Loving, Eryn Eddy.  Eryn drops some gems about separating yourself from failure and mistakes. She discusses the constant changes of entrepreneurship and why having the mindset to sustain the life cycles of a business is important. The three also dive into the importance of self talk and knowing the “language...

The Humanity in Ice Cream with Jeni Britton-BauerIn case you missed it, we interviewed Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in Season 1. It's such an encouraging episode, and we want to make sure you have a chance to learn from an incredible leader. Thanks for joining us! Today we are going to look at the world through the lens of ice cream to be specific, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams! Je...

This week Jeff, Tuere, and Kayla, from the Plywood team sit down for a candid conversation on the rising costs of doing business, specifically in the context of nonprofits. As inflation and the cost of living are increasing, Plywood talks directly to nonprofit leaders, donors, and foundations on ways to engage, lean in, and make it through this season. If you lead a nonprofit, send this to your bo...

This week on the Plywood Podcast, we dive into the entrepreneurial journey of Heath Wilson, an entrepreneur and the Co-Founder of Aro, which is working to make it easy to put down our phones so we can focus on the things that really matter.   When someone enters Plywood with an idea, one of the questions we always ask is: "Why are you the person to solve this problem?" Heath answers this question...

Joining us on today’s podcast is Stephanie Nadi Olson, founder of @wearerosie, a talent solution for marketing with the mission to support extraordinary people while providing a workplace that treats everyone with dignity and access to opportunity. This interview comes from the #plywoodpresents stage, and Stephanie shares why she left “big tech’ and how she fell in love with start-ups and their co...

On today's podcast, we have, Puerto Rico native, Carlos Rodriguez, founder of the Happy Givers, a nonprofit that directly manages and assists a home reconstruction program in Puerto Rico and other countries. Listen as Carlos shares his love for his native country and explains the intense perspective on America and Puerto Rico’s relationship. The nonprofit leader explains how “hope” made his return...

This week is a little different. Jeff is still hosting, but we have André (his partner) joining us for a conversation! Over the past several years, they have been asking the question, "Is it possible to change the world, stay in love, and raise a healthy family?" This tension came directly from the felt needs of the Plywood community. As lifelong learners, Jeff and André interviewed over 1100 coup...

On today's podcast we have counselor, entrepreneur, and author of Life Starts Now , Chanel Dokun. Chanel talks about finding her purpose and explains how to give yourself time to develop your purpose and values. The author also discusses how to take back your mornings and redefine what success means to you. Ready to live in your truth? Take a listen! https://chaneldokun.com/lifestartsnow --- Welco...

Welcome to the Plywood Podcast: Real talk for social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. Plywood is a nonprofit in Atlanta leading a community of startups doing good. Over the past 12 years, we have worked with over 1000 startup founders and nonprofit leaders wrestling with the tensions of starting, growing, and sustaining. Think of The Plywood Podcast as a kitchen table conversation debating the...

Welcome to the Plywood Podcast: Real talk for social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. Plywood is a nonprofit in Atlanta leading a community of startups doing good. Over the past 12 years, we have worked with over 1000 startup founders and nonprofit leaders wrestling with the tensions of starting, growing, and sustaining. Think of The Plywood Podcast as a kitchen table conversation debating the...

Welcome to the Plywood Podcast: Real talk for social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. Plywood is a nonprofit in Atlanta leading a community of startups doing good. Over the past 12 years, we have worked with over 1000 startup founders and nonprofit leaders wrestling with the tensions of starting, growing, and sustaining. Think of The Plywood Podcast as a kitchen table conversation debating the...

Vik Harrison, Co-founder of “Charity Water”, and founder of “Mission Critical” ,a course platform that teaches rising nonprofits the essential marketing and fundraising skills to accelerate growth, dropped some marketing gems on today’s episode. As a veteran in nonprofit marketing, Viktoria explains why it is so important for nonprofits to create content, shares key factors of locking in monthly d...

Sitting down with us today is Atlanta native, founder and former executive director of Kula Project, Sarah Buchanan Sasson. Kula Project is a nonprofit eradicating poverty through the development of entrepreneurs in Rwanda. Celebrating the ten year anniversary of her nonprofit,  Sarah reflects on  her experiences and what she has learned personally about herself and being a nonprofit leader. Liste...

In this week's episode, we sit down with B.T. Harman. B.T. Harman is a former executive turned content strategist, podcaster, and speaker. He consults forward-thinking organizations on brand strategy, design, marketing, social media, leadership, and more. He is also the creator of the blog & podcast, Blue Babies Pink, and more recently released his second narrative-style podcast, Catlick. Toda...

Today on the Plywood Podcast, we have human activist and leader of LINK (Liberty In North Korea), Hannah Song. Noted in the podcast as a modern-day “ Underground Railroad”, LINK has helped the people of North Korea escape through 3,000 miles of secret rescue routes. Hannah explains why having a community of people is essential to navigating through the work LINK is doing and why telling the storie...

Joining us today is Jess Ekstrom, founder, and CEO of  Headbands of Hope. Listen as Jess shares her journey from becoming an entrepreneur at 19 to authoring her latest book,  Chasing The Bright Side: Embracing Optimism. The well-noted speaker also explains why being optimistic is so essential in entrepreneurship. Wanna know more about Jess? Check out our latest episode! Check out Headbands of Hope...

Today on the Plywood Podcast we have Atlanta native and “Atlanta Influence Everything” co-founder, Bem Joiner. Bem shares how his diverse upbringing and love for music and culture influenced his passion for people. Listen as he explains how Atlanta civics, culture, and corporate commerce allows  the city to influence the globe. The culture curator also discusses what Atlanta can do as a city to de...

Today joining us is author, writer, philanthropist, and minimalist, Joshua Becker. Listen as we discuss his journey of becoming a minimalist and how the concept of “less” changed his life. Joshua shares the power of embracing the minimalist lifestyle and the benefits of overcoming consumerism. Joshua also gives us a sneak peek into  his new book “ Things That Matter: Overcoming  Distraction to Pur...

Today on the  Plywood Podcast we have Sela Missirian, Executive Vice President at the Partnership Agency. Listen as she shares some pro tips about the art of pitching! Sela discusses the importance of preparation, connection, and relation, and explains the four types of decision-making styles that will take your pitch to the next level! Learn more about Partnership Agency here . --- Welcome to the...

Today, our team is sitting down with Joanna Waterfall, Speaker, Facilitator, and Founder of Yellow Co, which is a network of impact-driven women creating meaningful work. Joanna is always striving to create space for humans to thrive and be more of who they were created to be. In this conversation, we talk about the trends Joanna sees within her community, her entrepreneurial story, along with Yel...

We are kicking off Season Two of The Plywood Podcast with the Plywood People Team! We discuss what we are learning about ourselves in this current season, and what’s inspiring us each. We also share tips focused on productivity that our team uses, from time blocking to music choice and more. --- Welcome to the Plywood Podcast: Real talk for social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. Plywood is a...

Today we are sitting down with Malcolm Mitchell, a Super Bowl Champion turned nonprofit leader who is tackling the issues around illiteracy through his organization, Share the Magic. During his freshman year in college, Malcolm developed a love of reading. Initially, reading was a challenge, however, through perseverance, books became an avenue for expanding his curiosity, creativity, and learning...