Yes! We Rise

Episode 60 of the Yes! We Rise podcast In this powerful solo reflection, Christine shares on Yes! We Rise what has unfolded during one of the most difficult seasons of her life. What began as a promising year—healthy, strong, training for her first marathon—shifted dramatically when she developed a sudden cascade of health symptoms that ultimately led to a Lyme disease diagnosis. At the same time,...

In Episode 59 of the We Rise podcast, Christine Gyovai interviews Hub Knott, co-founder of the Living Earth School. They discuss the importance of connecting with nature and community, exploring how these connections foster personal growth and resilience. Hub shares his journey from Baltimore to the wilderness, his experiences with mentors, and the development of the Living Earth School. The conve...

Episode 58 of the We Rise podcast with Christine Gyovai In this episode of the We Rise podcast, Christine Gyovai talks with Zikki Munyao, who shares his inspiring journey from Kenya to the US, his experiences in the military, and his transition into philanthropy and community engagement. Zikki discusses the challenges and lessons learned from farming in Kenya, the mission of the nonprofit Just Hel...

In this episode of the Yes We Rise podcast, Christine Gyovai interviews Amber Ellis, who shares her journey from a rural upbringing in Virginia to her impactful work with the James River Association and her personal project, Find Your Nature. Amber discusses her deep connection to nature, the role of art in enhancing that connection, and the importance of community engagement in environmental rest...

https://yeswerise.org/Summary In this episode of the Yes We Rise podcast, Christine Gyovai discusses ten innovative strategies for creatively funding collaboratives, especially in light of recent changes in the funding landscape. She emphasizes the importance of developing diverse funding sources, building relationships with funders, and showcasing the value of collaborative work. The conversation...

In this episode of the We Rise podcast, Christine Gyovai interviews Freddy Jackson , who shares his journey of personal growth, resilience, and community engagement. Freddy discusses the importance of love over fear, the impact of gratitude, and the role of ego in our lives. He emphasizes the need to create conditions for love and connection, and how personal experiences shape our understanding of...

June has been weaving networks, helping others weave networks, and writing about networks for over 40 years. She is currently increasing her capacity to capture learning and innovations from the field and sharing what she discovers through blog posts, occasional virtual sessions and a forthcoming book. In 1981 June discovered complexity science and became intrigued with the process of transformati...

Dr. Marie-Helene Pelletier is an award-winning workplace mental health expert, psychologist, advisor and speaker. She brings a signature mix of business and clinical expertise to the groups she works with. Dr. Pelletier translates psychology research about health, resiliency, and overcoming challenges into strategies professionals, business leaders and their teams need to thrive. She's a bilingual...

Hannah is the Workforce Development Program Manager and Farmer PRIDE Coalition Coordinator at Appalachia Sustainable Development (ASD). She joined ASD as an Americorp VISTA in 2021 and has continued as part of the Groundwork staff ever since. She has a genuine love for farming, gardening, and the community-driven ethics of Appalachia and its people.   In this episode, Christine and Hannah discuss...

In this new series of the Yes! We Rise podcast, Christine explores the ten part framework for building community resilience that her firm Dialogue + Design Associates uses working with communities across the nation. This series will not only include stories and ideas that you can try out and explore in your own neighborhood or region, but it will help you build collective resilience and create the...

Jacob Hannah grew up in a coal mining family in West Virginia. He saw the slow loss of coal jobs in the area, as well as the costs associated with mining and extraction in communities and the broader region. Jacob moved through his own journey – leading with curiosity – to working with communities, creating new opportunities for projects leading with innovation and sustainability, and building res...

Every interaction we have impacts others, and every interaction someone has with you impacts you. So how do we take this knowledge and allow it to transform the way we show up in the world? On this episode of Yes! We Rise, founder and CEO of Collaborative by Design, Cheri Torres, PhD, joins Christine to share her life's work around supporting growth and evolutionary purpose in people and organizat...

Changemaking work is often called being resilient, but what does resilience mean? In this episode of the Yes! We Rise podcast, Christine talks about the intentional approach Dialogue + Design Associates takes in working with collaboratives, cultivating long-term networks, and how to honor and incorporate the value each member has to offer. Learn about the important models and approaches collaborat...

Welcome back to part two of our incredible conversation with Paul Hawken. Paul has been influential in Christine's own work, both personally and professionally, for over two decades. In part two, we dive into a beautiful dialogue with Paul around restoration and regeneration, discover what it means to be an ally to our planet and one another, where we can start to make change, and the gift of buil...

Welcome back to the We Rise podcast! We are delighted to share this conversation with Paul Hawken with you. Paul has been influential in Christine's own work, both personally and professionally, for over two decades. In this inspiring and encouraging episode–the first in a two part series–Christine and Paul talk about the importance of work at the collective level, listening, and connecting with o...

There is something truly unique and complex about coal mining communities in Appalachia, and Atlas Charles has experienced this firsthand. Growing up queer, nonbinary, and autistic in the Cumberland mountains of Southwest Virginia and southwestern West Virginia, Atlas understands the coexistence of hardship and beauty. Today, Atlas uses their systems leadership skills to lead the complex work of c...

Welcome to the Yes! We Rise Podcast. Today, Christine shares the top 10 strategies Dialogue + Design uses to support the different communities they work with, from establishing a thoughtful action plan, to balancing different personalities in a room, and acknowledging and honoring your wins. In an effort to create a safe space for diverse groups of people, certain approaches are absolutely essenti...

Dialogue + Design Associates is the sister company to the Yes! We Rise Podcast. They provide facilitation, community engagement, and help everyday community members and leaders come together, envision their future, and find tools and resources to make that vision a reality.  In 2016, a few groups approached Dialogue + Design in the hopes of creating a community-based effort to grow the solar energ...

Dialogue and Design is the sister company behind the Yes! We Rise Podcast, and in this space, we have a beautiful opportunity to listen to incredible changemakers working to build a brighter future with their communities. We love sharing stories and strategies that help build a sense of belonging, collective resilience, and community transformation. In this episode, Christine looks at the differen...

Allera Dawn is a life and business coach, business expert, and podcaster who works with clients who are seeking deep healing and transformation. Allera is also a change maker and an activist. Today, she sits down with Christine and opens up about her own spiritual journey, the importance of claiming your worth, and how to truly heal through deep inner work and discovering the hidden power of "diam...

Laura Hartley is an activist, a life coach, and founder of Public Love Education , an online school for changemakers. She has a deep passion for seeing individuals and communities break free from toxic systems and works to foster social healing and community thriving. Today on Yes! We Rise, Laura and Christine explore what true resilience looks like, healing from burnout, and the discovery of your...

Real systems-level change takes community, safety, and trust. Today, Christine is joined by Beth Tener, founder of New Directions and Kinship . Beth shares that creating change does not happen through one person or organization, but through collaborative networks working together toward building systemic change. She believes strongly that the answers can already be found within a community - the c...

Percy Deal is a member of the Diné (or Navajo) Nation. He's a rancher and a community advocate from Black Mesa, Arizona, and deeply involved in local community and government issues for the last 45 years. He continues to use his expertise in educating and advocating for community transition on Black Mesa. Christine had the opportunity to sit down with Percy and learn about the very real challenges...

There is endless wisdom to be learned from the forests. As we listen, observe, and experiment, we can support and create thriving ecosystems that also happen to be delicious! In this episode of The Yes! We Rise Podcast, we're focusing on plants, gardening like a forest, and planting for pollinators. We're going to do a deep dive and share how edible forest gardens work and what you can do to creat...

It is such a joy to welcome Dr. Fanike-Kiara Young back to the Yes! We Rise Podcast. Dr. Fanike-Kiara Young is a master healing alchemist, a corporate wellness quality improvement expert, and a corporate trainer. She is a licensed trauma therapist and focuses on healing the whole person.  Dr. Fanike has transformed her own trauma, and now helps women entrepreneurs overcome their negative thought p...