Make Meaning Podcast Episodes
Category: Non-Profit

Elizabeth Gowing — 118 — How to know a place by living its stories

Episode #118 – Elizabeth Gowing – How to Know a Place by Living its Stories

Elizabeth Gowing’s life changed when she moved from London to Kosovo in 2006 for her partner’s job on what was supposed to be a six-month contract. Fifteen years later, Elizabeth speaks Albanian, teaches English and leads The Ideas Partnership, an NGO that offers support to people through education, health and social welfare as well as offering literacy classes, and arts and dance sessions. Driven by a background in primary education and education policy, Elizabeth launched the nonprofit organization in 2009 to help children and families in the region. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, Elizabeth speaks with […]

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Episode 105 – Helen Taylor & Gina Nicholas – How to Really Protect the Environment by Being a True Part of it

“The future doesn’t have to be about more stuff,” says Gina Nicholas. “It can be about sharing experiences with others.” When the World Trade Center twin towers came down in a terrorist attack, Gina saw it as a sign that she should leave her corporate career to return home to the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan, surrounded by the cold waters of Lake Superior, and focus on preserving the natural lands she loved for future generations. Through this work, she met Helen Taylor, the Michigan director of the global Nature Conservancy, and their friendship grew out of conservation collaborations and a […]

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Episode 60 – Vickie Thompson-Sandy – Inspired Nonprofit Leadership

The consummate workplace dilemma: you want to climb the rungs of the corporate ladder, but you don’t want to lose what you first loved about your work. Vickie Thompson-Sandy knows this challenge all too well. As a social worker dedicated to child welfare issues, and now a nonprofit leader on a national scale, her focus has always been to make the world healthier, stronger, and more whole. On this week’s episode of the Make Meaning podcast, Vickie, CEO of The Buckeye Ranch in Columbus, Ohio, shares insights on how to be a leader and retain a vision of purpose, finding new ways to make […]

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Episode 54 – Sandy North – Quilting Advocacy

Have you thought much about your purpose and how it reveals itself in your life? Perhaps your purpose comes from a natural talent or a collection of experiences that build on each other over time.  Sandy North, this week’s Make Meaning guest, found purpose advocating for justice through quilts. Aiming to shed light on innocent victims of gun violence, Sandy co-founded the Remember Me Quilt Project of Michigan, which works with victims’ families to create quilts bearing victims’ faces, thus humanizing this tragic trend. The quilts are made by community groups and form a statewide traveling exhibit that educates and honors the memory of innocents […]

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Episode 43 – Natasha Guynes – Rising Above

Natasha Guynes understands all too well the inspirational power of a story. For years, she hid her own, fearful it would destroy the successful career she had built on Capitol Hill. This week on the Make Meaning podcast, Natasha talks with Lynne Golodner about her journey through homelessness and addiction, how supportive mentors helped her break down walls of shame and isolation, and how she helps vulnerable young women do the same. Bravely sharing her story gave Natasha the confidence to create HER Resiliency Center. She finds meaning by using her past to help others build futures. Hear Natasha’s story […]

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Episode 42 – April Jones Boyle – Building Detroit

April Jones Boyle of Build Institute has had a vision for our beloved city of Detroit for a long time. A vision of what it could be and what it can be, and she won’t just sit on the sidelines and hope someone will make it happen. She’s taking action, empowering entrepreneurs, and building Detroit from within. Her conversation with Lynne, who is a celebrated entrepreneur in her own right, on this episode of theMake Meaning podcast looks at how to empower entrepreneurs so they empower Detroit – building neighborhoods, creating jobs. Check it out: Have you ever dreamed of starting your own business? Do you have a […]

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Episode 38 – Andrew Stein – Cities and Communities

What if every student aged 18-25 pursued a year of service? What might they learn about being a part of something bigger than themselves? For Andrew Stein, it was a transformational time that defined purpose and set the direction for his career as Executive Director of City Year Detroit. As a City Year corps member right out of college, Andrew learned about serving a community, which revealed a new definition of success: people building vibrant careers running nonprofits and serving in government, making a difference through the work they do. This week on the Make Meaning podcast, Lynne talks with Andrew about City Year’s […]

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