The Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast

LaVerne Bowen, Kim Roxie, and Virginia Sharp are all dynamic business owners based in New York, Houston, and Macon, Georgia. LaVerne founded a company that helps teens through afterschool programs, Kim has a beauty company and Virginia owns a boutique. Each has a unique story and perspective on life and entrepreneurship. Listen to their stories and learn about the unique challenges and advantages...

Scott Shute is the Head of Compassion and Mindfulness at Linkedin and recently released a deeply personal leadership book he wrote during the lockdown in 2020 called The Full Body Yes . In this episode, we explore compassionate leadership at LinkedIn and how Scott came to write this book which offers a balance of personal stories, spiritual lessons, and professional tips on how to build a better o...

Laila Tarraf, the Chief People Officer at Allbirds tells the story of how her new book, "Strong Like Water" came to be a reality. She shares how to lead with love through heartbreaks and successes ultimately (after a lot of work) landing in a place that is honest, integrated, and powerful. Her story is soul food for anyone who believes in the power of love and compassionate leadership.

Hayden and Jake Wadsworth are devoted founders of HydroJug , the water jug that makes hydration more convenient and sustainable. The brothers are modeling compassionate leadership as they work to create more health and well-being for their customers and work culture, providing a positive impact on the planet, supporting charities, and continue to grow so they employ more people. Last year, despite...

I had the chance to meet Deborah Sass and Thomas Reemer, two entrepreneurs who founded Space Hero. Space Hero will be the world's first global competition to send a civilian into space on a $55M, 10-day trip to the International Space Station. We also discuss their 17-year friendship, their backgrounds, and how this towering concept took a foothold in their lives. 

Meet the witty, warm, and fiercely intelligent Father Joseph McShane, current President of The Jesuit College of NYC, Fordham University . My colleague and Fordham alumnus, Darryl Brown, has been singing the praises of this compassionate leader for many years. As a leader and Jesuit priest, Father sees racism as a moral issue "We need to see each other as equals and develop reverence, respect, and...

I was introduced to Tracy Rosensteel many years ago by my colleague, Paul Lanzarotti, who described her as the most fascinating person he ever met. This reputation is well-deserved, and Tracy and I recently met up to catch up on her ventures. We discussed her TV series, which initially aired on PBS and was just picked up by Amazon, and the deal she recently closed on Shark Tank for a business she...

I have had the chance to interview the soulful and jubilant Eduardo Vilaro , CEO and Artistic Director at Ballet Hispánico , twice in 2020.  We had the opportunity to chat in March and again in December, bookending a problematic year. And earlier this month, I had the honor to introduce him as a recipient of a Compassionate Leader of the Year Award in the category of arts, entertainment and sports...

Jeff Wald is an accomplished and compassionate leader on a quest for his next professional vision. For anyone experiencing a career transition, this time in the hallway can be both exciting and challenging. Jeff explained that he is simultaneously grateful and fearful about this opportunity.

Brook Hartnett, the CEO of Allegiance Personal Training, is on a mission to help people over forty get fit that started with helping his mom work out a few years ago. In this episode hear what it was like to open a family business in 2020 and why starting a wellness routine now, is important. 

Darryl Brown has always been a leader, first as a high school basketball star, then a professional athlete, and eventually as an executive at ABC Radio Network, now Disney. Currently, he is a diversity advocate and on the Board of Trustees for Fordham University. In this episode, he shares his history that includes having to work at 150% in order to succeed as a black man in the United States. He...

The charming and energetic Jim Szafranski became the CEO of Prezi earlier this year when Péter Árvai, co-founder of Prezi, retired from the position to focus more of his time on activism.  Jim is honored to have this new role and said he was surprised when it was offered because he never planned on being a CEO.

Liz Elting, Founder and CEO of the Elizabeth Elting Foundation , is a force. I had the chance to meet with her and my three women business school interns: June Lui, Jessica Flam, and Taylor Theis, recently so we could all benefit from her experience as an entrepreneur, mother, and philanthropist.

One in three Americans' employment has been affected by the pandemic and all of us are questioning our purpose as we face these unsettled times. Stories of professionals who have encountered an unexpected career pivot and landed in a better place can be a great source of inspiration. Recently I met the talented and exuberant Lindsey Decker, founder of DogMa , and learned about her journey from cor...

Meet Duke Mahr, SunnyRose Eaton, Audrey Legate and Eve Anderson, winners of a one-of-a-kind pitch contest. All four are seniors at the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management in the Daniel's College of Business, University of Denver. “Fritz” is the smallest, yet (in my opinion), the mightiest of the top twenty hotel undergraduate programs in the US. Fritz has a social impact approach to hos...

Darrell Jones is a minister, coach, teacher and the General Manager of Chill , a Chicago-based wellness company providing online meditation classes, workshops, and training for individuals and companies. I was fortunate to share an enlightening and hopeful hour with him. We discussed how to take better care of ourselves and our world in these unsettling times through personal practice and a genius...