System Catalysts

Firms led by white men control 98.6% of U.S.-managed assets. Today, Kate Nevin, President and Portfolio Manager at TSWII Capital Advisors, talks about the structural barriers that make it harder for women to build institutionalized funds, and why letting  women receive capital isn't the same as letting them  control it.  Learn more about TSWII Capital Advisors: https://www.tswii.com...

[REBROADCAST] Original Airdate: November 26, 2024 “Finding common ground” – you probably hear this all the time in this era of polarization. But does it ever happen? And how does it lead to actual change? Rye Barcott will prove to you that the answer is yes. As the CEO and co-founder of With Honor, he’s using military service to establish common ground in congress and encourage bi-partisanship. If...

What shapes the way wealthy families think about social impact? After years of researching family businesses and family offices, anthropologist Bridget Kustin challenges common assumptions about wealth holders and explores the fears and motivations that influence philanthropic giving. Learn more about Ownership Project https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/research-and-insight/centres-and-initiatives/ownership...

Daniela Papi-Thornton is an educator whose work focuses on systems-led leadership. Today, she explains why complex social issues can’t simply be “solved,” how philanthropy can better support systems change, and why inner work may be one of the most overlooked parts of systems change. Learn more about Systems. Change. Educators. Unite: https://www.systemschangeeducatorsunite.com/ Girltrek: When Bla...

From responding to outbreaks like COVID-19, Ebola, and Zika to leading New York City’s contact tracing program, Dr. Neil Vora has spent his career on the front lines of global health crises. In this episode, he explains how addressing deforestation, biodiversity loss and our relationship with nature can help prevent  future pandemics. Learn more about Preventing Pandemics at the Source: https...

[REBROADCAST] Original Airdate: June 18, 2024 New Episode of System Catalysts out next week! We talk a lot about ecosystems on this show. So today, our guest is an ecosystem expert, aka a farmer! Jack Algiere is the Chief Agroecology Officer at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. In this conversation, you’ll learn how to harness the holistic power and complex beauty of regenerative ag...

Dr. Zuri Tau is a sociologist and licensed mental health professional, as well as the founder and CEO of Social Insights Research and Liberatory Research. Zuri is challenging the idea that research is neutral by amplifying BIPOC perspectives and shifting power in research and evaluation. Today, we discuss why traditional methods often fall short, and what it looks like to practice “liberatory rese...

Today, we kick off season 5 with Garreth Wood, an entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist, now serving as chairman & co-founder of Kids Operating Room (KidsOR). After a personal experience with his daughter’s life-threatening birth, Garreth decided to tackle a massive but overlooked issue: millions of children lack access to safe surgery. We talk about how one operating room in Uganda grew into a g...

While we’re on a season break, we’re sharing an episode from another show we think you’ll love.  It’s called Nonprofit Leadership Podcast , and in it, Dr. Rob Harter interviews leaders making a difference today about what strategies and practices have made them successful.  In this particular episode, he talks to Dan Pallotta—renowned author, TED Talk speaker, and social impact provocate...

Today, Afua Bruce, founding CEO of ANB Advisory Group and co-author of The Tech That Comes Next , explains how technology, data and even AI, can be used ethically.  She unpacks what it actually means to live in the “age of AI,” why generative AI is powerful and flawed, and how funders, nonprofits, and social impact leaders can make smarter, more ethical technology decisions. Learn more about...

Today’s guest is Vimbai Masiyiwa, a Zimbabwean entrepreneur and the CEO of Batoka Africa, one of the first Black, female‑owned luxury safari lodge groups on the continent. In our conversation, Vimbai talks about growing up in one of Africa’s most influential philanthropic families, how she’s redefining African luxury, and what it means to build a business that puts community first. Learn more abou...

Shamina Singh, Founder and President of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, joins us to explain  how business, government, and philanthropy can work together.  We dive into what systems change looks like in real life, how to manage  incentives across sectors, and how to be strategically open-minded.  Watch System Catalysts on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@SystemCatalysts If...

Today we hear from two national leaders transforming how we understand, talk about, and prevent suicide: Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman, Senior Vice President of Research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and Vic Armstrong, AFSP’s Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement. We explore how suicide prevention has evolved, what AFSP is doing to shift culture and policy, and wh...

Today we talk to two people at the forefront of the growing movement to integrate psychedelic-assisted therapies into mainstream mental health. Jojo Maislin, Field Catalyst at the Office of Systems Catalyst, and Jeff Walker, former System Catalysts co-host and philanthropist, break down what it really takes to bring these treatments into the health system safely, collaboratively, and at scale. Wat...

Ronda Carnegie is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Project Dandelion, a global women-led climate movement uplifting frontline leaders. Today, Ronda explains why solving the climate crisis and changing systems requires more than science and technology alone: it requires human infrastructure, relational healing, and reimagining who gets to lead. Learn more about Project Dandelion: https://ww...

Can systems change start from within? Today, entrepreneur and thought leader Abby Falik explores this question. As founder of Global Citizen Year and now co-founder and CEO of The Flight School , Abby has dedicated her career to helping young leaders redefine success. In this episode, she reflects on the lessons learned from building and ultimately leaving Global Citizen Year , and on the inner wo...

For many years, it was understood that investing in other countries wasn't just a moral imperative—it was a strategic necessity. But that wisdom seems to have been forgotten, or at least ignored. In this episode, we shed some new light on it with Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE, and Richard Stengel, CARE’s Co-Chair, Together, they reveal how the systems that shape our world are deeply int...

Systems don’t change by accident. They change when we rethink where power lives, who holds it, and how we build toward something new together. Steve Phillips is the founder of Democracy in Color and author of Brown Is the New White and How We Win the Civil War . Today, he traces how America’s demographic and political shifts connect to the long arc of the civil rights movement and what it really t...

Collaboration is slow, messy, and often happens in quiet rooms away from the spotlight. But when done well, it has the power to transform entire systems. In this episode, Madeline Ballard, Executive Director of Community Health Impact Coalition (CHIC), shares how she helped turn a group of once-competing organizations into a coalition that now shapes global health policy. Learn more about Communit...

Today Holly Fogle, shares her journey from “farm girl to New Yorker” and co-founder of the Monarch Foundation and the Bridge Project. She tells us how motherhood reshaped her sense of purpose, the importance of proximity in philanthropy and what it takes to move from individual stories to systemic change. Resources mentioned: CJ Grimes from WorkMoney on System Catalysts: https://lnk.to/system-cata...

In our first episode of Season 4, English Sall sits down with Rachel Markham and Cedric Dageville, husband and wife, scuba divers, and principals at the Patchwork Collective, a family foundation founded in 2020.  Rachel and Cedric share their trust-based approach at the Patchwork Collective, and why they reject the idea of “risk” in philanthropy.  Learn more about The Patchwork Collectiv...

While we're on our season break, we're sharing some of our favorite podcasts. Today, we’re playing an episode from Passion Struck. Hosted by John R. Miles, Passion Struck features some of the world's most insightful voices, offering practical advice on how to bring intentionality and purpose into your career, well-being, life, and relationships. In this episode, John talks to Esther Dyson, a respe...

Today we're bringing you an episode from a podcast hosted by my friend Jim McCann, the founder of 1-800 Flowers. In Power & Impact Jim talks to top CEOs, executives, and thought leaders about their journeys to success and how they’re using their influence to drive meaningful change. In this episode, Jim interviews the founder of Jonathan's Landing, a community for adults with autism. If you li...

Today, we're bringing you a compelling conversation between our host, English Sall, and Amber Pierce on Be a Good Wheel , a podcast that explores what it takes to be a strong, reliable part of a team. English dives into the nuances of building a thriving team culture, sharing hard-earned insights from her journey as a co-founder and CEO If you like what you here subscribe and listen to more episod...

Funding + expertise used to be enough to solve issues in communities close to home and around the world. For grantees and donors. But everything is shifting. Podcast hosts English Sall and Jeff Walker—they've seen the change. So has each guest from Season 3. As we wrap up this season, English and Jeff bring thoughts for Next Gen philanthropists and everyone else working in these spaces. If you hav...