The Ignite Institute : CHANGE HAPPENS NOW!

Josh Buck is an author, filmmaker, teacher, church planter, and faith-based entrepreneur. He's the co-founder of Pax , a partner of Ignite, and an organization designed to inspire and equip the next generation through slow, beautiful, Jesus-centered content created by people of color. Holding a PhD in intercultural studies, focusing on the problem of racial violence, Josh is passionate about...

Rev. Adriene Thorne incorporates art and creativity into all aspects of her life, including her faith and her leadership as the Senior Pastor of The Riverside Church in NYC. She talks with us about the importance and value of incorporating play and a childlike spirit into our daily lives, to stay grounded amidst the chaos of the world. As she discovered and gave herself permission to incorporate a...

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Peter Rios, author, leadership consultant, professor at the Pacific School of Religion, and Ignite's Academic Director, to learn what he discovered about himself that led him to shift from teaching in churches to teaching in classrooms and within organizations. He talks with us about the limited voices and representation in higher education and the...

On this episode, we're highlighting 12 Latinx/Hispanic leaders from our community and some impactful insights they shared as previous guests of the show. From Season 1 to our most recent wrap on Season 4, we've had the privilege and honor of sitting down to have deep, important conversations around spirituality, identity, and justice, "en conjunto", or all together. Links to ke...

Reverend Adam Russell Taylor, president of Sojourners , is as much a minister as he is an activist and community organizer. We had the pleasure of kicking off Season 5 with him, hearing how he weaves his faith into his political activism as a reflection of the ministry of Jesus Christ. We learn about how he discovered his passion for building and strengthening social movements and the power of one...

A recurring theme we've seen throughout this season has been the importance of rest. On this episode, we sat down with Danielle Hawthorne, VP of Programs at Code2040 just after her three-month sabbatical. Danielle shares how she was able to reset and refresh herself, her spirituality, and her work with Code2040, a people of color Organization that serves to mobilize the largest racial equity...

Nikole Lim is a speaker, educator, freelance filmmaker, author of Liberation Is Here , and Founder/International Director of Freely In Hope , an organization that supports and is led by survivors of sexual violence in Kenya and Zambia. We had a conversation with Nikole about the true meaning of allyship, what we all need to do to support survivors, and the role of faith-based institutions in both...

On this episode we sat down with Heidi Lepe, a Honduran-Mexican writer, theologian, and storyteller from West Los Angeles. As the founder of Brown Beloved Co . , a collective space at the intersection of faith, raíces (cultural roots), and justice, her work centers on the spirituality and liberation of Brown women, the Brown church, and Latine/x communities in the U.S.  Heidi is also a current stu...

On this episode, we sit down with Dr. Patrick Reyes, author of The Purpose Gap and Nobody Cries when We Die .   As the Senior Director of Learning Design at The Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) ,  inspiring young people to explore their passion, purpose, and calling, Patrick oversees learning and resource development around vocational exploration, leadership, and innovation. He shares his p...

On this Episode, we sat down with friend of the podcast and Ignite's very own Jonathon Murillo . Through his experience in community and organizational development and spiritual formation, Jonathon has developed a deep commitment to social transformation through meaningful work. He guides leaders, culture creators, and change makers into moments of epiphany and meaningful action through his w...

What does it look like to reclaim taking up space, standing firm in your capabilities? Dr. Jessica Taylor, CEO and founder of Leadership Training Initiative, sat down with us to share what it looks like on her journey, awakening agency, saying “No,” and kindly rejecting what is not for her. She talks about reclaiming one's value in the workplace, especially as women of color, and what equitab...

On this Episode, we have a conversation with Jonathan Dumas, founder and owner of Common Culture Coaching & Consulting . As an Organizational Psychologist and Leadership Coach, Jonathon works with organizations to create more equitable and inclusive work environments. He talks with us about why he started his consulting business, reclaiming parts of himself on the journey, and what it takes to...

On this Episode, we sit down with Nivi Achanta writer, speaker, and founder and CEO of Soapbox Project . With a passion for sustainability, social justice, and all things tech, Nivi helps people create positive social impact in the world. She was once told that in order to stand out and leave a large impact on the world, you must run towards the fire. She took that advice to heart. Nivi shares her...

On this episode, we sit down with national trainer, spiritual director, and professor, Dr. Kit Evans-Ford, founder of Argrow's House . She shares how she was able to live out her calling in life by combining her love of ministry and serving female survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence with social entrepreneurship. We hear about her own healing journey and the nurturing community/soc...

Meet Kriselle Gabriel, the fabulous new face and voice of Change Happens Now! Kriselle is a writer and entrepreneur with a passion for sharing stories, connecting people, and empowering those from marginalized communities to go for their passions. She's also the founder of @EmpoweredInColor , a movement and podcast dedicated to helping people of color thrive in both business and in life. In t...

On this episode we have a conversation with Dr. Martha Hernández , an incredible young leader with extensive clinical and research experience working with underserved populations in schools, universities, community mental health clinics, and hospitals. As Director of the Spanish Training Track and Associate Director of Family Support Services of Ronald McDonald House , her service work includes ad...

In this Episode we have a heart to heart conversation with Renjy Abraham , the Dean of Spiritual Life and Cultural Integration at Multnomah University . Serving in the Diversity and Inclusive Development Department, Renjy is passionate about walking with BIPOC leaders as they discover their true selves. As an Indian American, born and raised in the Pacific NW, Renjy brings a unique skill set and v...

On this episode, we sit down with Andrew Kim, the Teaching and Small Groups Pastor at Kensington Church in the metro Detroit area. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Andrew has traveled widely, throughout Asia, Europe, Central America and Africa. One of his greatest passions is to see Asian Americans live more fully into their God given identity. He shares an epiphany he had at the beginning of th...

Can we do this again? Can we begin again? Can we keep moving forward after all of this? These are the questions Episode 5 answers with a wholehearted YES!  We sat down with Kevin Sweeney , the co-founder and curator of Imagine , an urban church in Honolulu that is welcoming of all people, sees imagination as the key to the future, and chooses substance over hype. He's the host of podcast call...

On this episode we have a conversation about building lasting connections across cultures and the vital connection between our faith and our cultural identity. Dr. Michelle Ami Reyes is an Indian American author, speaker, church planter, and activist who is deeply engaged with anti-racist work. As the co-founder of a non profit called Made for Pax , she inspires and equips the next generation of l...

On this episode, we drop in with Grace Martino-Suprice, a young leader with a heart for community development and desires to help the Church create bridges of love with the world around it. Since an early age, Grace has served with various congregational and parachurch ministries including UrbanPromise in Wilmington, DE and Because Justice Matters in San Francisco, CA.  She is currently the Outrea...

On this episode, we sit down with Arlene Mendoza, a dynamic leader in our community with 14 years experience in the tech space, who recently pivoted to Software Product Strategy/Management in the Social Enterprise space and sits on the Board of Moran Consulting and Pacific School of Religion. She was invited to be a guest speaker in our certificate program, talking about creative communication, be...

Who is Jalen Seawright? Aside from being the fabulous new face and voice of Season 3 of Change Happens Now Podcast, Jalen is a young dreamer who wants to amass a lot of change in this world! He's passionate about justice, watching people come together, and bridging gaps between communities that are different from each other. He's an entrepreneur who started WeCollectively , a nonprofit w...

On this Season 2 wrap episode, we continue the conversation on transformative leadership with @lamikiacastillo a powerful and inspiring Afro-Latina leader, born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. As a professor, consultant, and organizer over the last 20 years...a commitment to social justice, racial equity, and social change permeate every aspect of her personal and professional life.  We t...

On this episode, Byron Chung, our Executive Director, sits down with two phenomenal leaders in our community.  Areej Masoud is a Christian-Aramean Palestinian, born and currently living in Bethlehem. She is justice oriented, takes action towards change through the faith-based communities she belongs to, and is passionate in raising awareness and promoting Palestinians’ struggles through local and...