The Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast

Laurel Donnellan sits down with David Cumberbatch, newly appointed Managing Director of North America for the Project Management Institute (PMI), for a wide-ranging conversation on education, career readiness, and leadership in a rapidly changing world of work. David traces his path from a childhood in Trinidad and Tobago — shaped by a grandfather who ran the country's largest orphanage — through...

What does it take to build a career — and a life — after the justice system has already written you off? In this conversation, Laurel sits down with Larry Miller, founder of JUMP, and Ken Oliver, JUMP's President and CEO, to talk about second chances, systemic change, and the leadership lessons hiding inside both of their stories. Larry and Ken met four years ago and quickly realized they were bui...

 Sarah Feeley and Laurel Donnellan host Dr. Kelly Monahan and KeyAnna Schmiedl for a wide-ranging conversation on AI, leadership, and the future of work. Laurel opens by tracing how dramatically career patterns have shifted across generations — from one job for a lifetime to a future where Generation Beta may hold 20-30 jobs across 7-10 career chapters — and frames CLC’s evolving focus on helping...

In this episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, hosts Sarah Feely and Chelsea Stoll speak with Leigh Feldman, CEO of Youth Franchise Brands, the company behind Young Chefs Academy and Flour Power Cooking Studios. Leigh shares how these youth cooking franchises turn kitchens into classrooms for life skills, confidence, and community—while also creating meaningful opportunities for purp...

What we Discuss;  The Shipyard & Engineering Brand Love Rick introduces The Shipyard — a leading independent agency working across advertising, PR, and digital — and unpacks their guiding theme: engineering brand love. He makes the case that technology should serve feeling, not replace it, and that the most enduring brands are "designed with feelings and fueled by feelings." The Mental Health...

What if faith isn't a four-letter word — but a five-letter superpower? In this episode, Laurel Donnellan and Darryl Brown sit down with interviewer Sarah Feely to explore Principle #2 of the Donnellan Method: Faith — and its corresponding practice: Connect to Inspiration . Whether you approach faith through a spiritual lens, a religious tradition, or simply a deep belief in something good and posi...

I met Penelope Barton and Brittanie Bates the way you meet the most interesting people: in a coffee line. It was South by Southwest EDU (SXSWEDU), and within minutes, I knew these weren't typical school administrators. They were builders — the kind of quietly revolutionary leaders who don't wait for the system to change but build something new alongside it. Barton is the CEO of Crimson Global Acad...

Scott Schnell, Cofounder and CEO, built MedZed by reaching the people healthcare can’t — and staying long enough to change outcomes. He leads a team of compassionate, hardworking caregivers who help our country’s most vulnerable Medicaid patients.  Here is a number that should stop you: insurance companies routinely classify between 15% and 20% of their most vulnerable Medicaid members as “unable...

Join Sarah Feely, CLC's Chief Learning Officer, as she launches a new series to help listeners dive deeper and emerge stronger, more compassionate leaders. She interviews CLC's podcast hosts through a personal journey of history, healing, and hope that will inspire you to be braver and encourage others to do the same. 

Let's talk about faith at work. Join Sarah Feely and Laurel Donnellan as they interview Denis Ring about food, kindness, and leadership. Denis's story includes membership in the Jesuit Order, a business career as a leader at Whole Foods, and the CEO of Ocho Chocolate. He offers practical advice for anyone wanting to lead with love and integrate their values into leadership. 

Join me for a fascinating conversation with my friend Katie Read. She became a therapist back before it was cool, and now she is an AI entrepreneur. Her obsession with human psychology evolved into a fascination with buyer behavior and marketing psych, leading her to create an online program that hit seven figures in its first year. When AI showed up, Katie had one of those movie-epiphany moments—...

In this special episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle podcast, we’re sharing the recording of our inaugural Lead with Love Summit where we have a conversation about what leadership requires right now. Founder Laurel Donnellan, Chief Learning Officer Sarah Feely, and Chief Compassion Officer Chelsea Stoll explore why compassion is an important leadership strategy. You’ll hear the research beh...

In this powerful episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, host Laurel Donnellan sits down with Francesca Reicherter, founder of Inspiring My Generation , to explore what truly helps when someone is in suicidal pain and what compassionate care looks like when the stakes are life and death. Francesca shares, with honesty and courage, what she needed from the people around her when she wa...

Guest host Meryl Eriksen, Tom Colicchio, and Laurel have a candid conversation about politics and how to address hunger through advocacy.  Tom Colicchio is best known for his restaurant group, Crafted Hospitality, and for being a pioneer in food entertainment, first as the head judge on Top Chef. He is one of the country’s leading voices on food policy and hunger advocacy. He co-founded Food Polic...

We know plenty of stories related to how people find their romantic partner, but how do you find your perfect business partner? Find out in this episode as we chat with Paul Lanzarotti and Gabriel Sauma. Seven years ago, Paul founded a unique consumer goods company, Floor-Fix Pro , launched after solving a problem he needed to fix in his own home. His young daughter Sienna was a baby at the time,...

Over the last two decades, a multitude of scientific studies by leading researchers have empirically demonstrated what we intuitively knew to be true: The benefits of prosocial behaviors and motivations in the workplace are vast and undeniable, including significant improvements in employee well-being, innovation capability, employee retention, and overall business performance. I had the great hon...

In this episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, Founder & CEO Laurel Donnellan reconnects with her dear friend and colleague Gunjan Agarwal, Founder & CEO of Learn With Leaders. Gunjan shares her extraordinary journey from investment banking to becoming a global education innovator. She reflects on how her passion for democratizing Ivy League–level education led to creating Le...

In this episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, Founder & CEO Laurel Donnellan sits down with two of CLC’s core leaders: Chief Learning Officer Sarah Feely and Chief Compassion Officer Meryl Eriksen. Together, they share their personal journeys—from hospitality and executive recruiting to purpose-driven leadership—and how their pivots shaped the work they do today. You’ll hear how...

In this special episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, we bring you inside the 5th annual Compassionate Leaders Circle Awards ceremony, hosted by Founder & CEO Laurel Donnellan and Chief Compassion Officer Meryl Eriksen. This year’s theme was Kindness , and honorees from diverse organizations shared how one small act can spark big changes at work. You’ll hear how nominees practic...

In this episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, we continue our annual tradition of partnering with Dr. David Corsun, Director of the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management at the University of Denver, and his students Arianna Rojas-Ortega, Copey Fuller, Maite Montes Gonzalez, and Stephanie Vancleve.  Together, they share how Fritz Knoebel stands apart from other hospitality s...

In this episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast , we feature Audree Grubesic, an ambassador for offsite construction and a 2024 Compassionate Leaders Circle Awards honoree. As a trailblazer in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Audree opens up about the pressures women face to adopt masculine energy to succeed — and the burnout that often follows. She also takes us inside the wor...

In this episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, we speak with Emily Cordes, Lead Physician at Root, Inc. and a 2024 Compassionate Leaders Circle Awards honoree. With a bold vision for the future of healthcare, Emily is challenging the conventional “pill for the ill” mindset and advocating for a more holistic, sustainable approach to well-being. Emily shares how she helps individuals b...

In this episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast, we’re joined by Laina Greene, CEO of Angels of Impact and a 2024 Compassionate Leaders Circle Awards honoree. A passionate advocate for women entrepreneurs and impact-led businesses, Laina is reshaping how funding works — and who gets access to it. She shares why women often face more barriers when raising capital, and how Angels of Impa...

Join us for an important episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast featuring Jyl Feliciano, Vice-President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging at Highspot and a 2024 Compassionate Leaders Circle Awards honoree. With extensive experience in shaping inclusive cultures, Jyl candidly addresses the misconceptions surrounding DEI and emphasizes the necessity of working with organiz...

Join us for this inspiring episode of the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast featuring Geoffrey Roche, a 2024 Compassionate Leaders Circle Awards honoree and proud son of a nurse. Geoffrey once planned a career in politics on Capitol Hill but found his true calling in healthcare, where he leads with compassion and dedication. In this candid discussion, Geoffrey shares how his mother’s influence...