Dreaming in Color: Creating New Narratives in Leadership

Sarah Jones, Scott Budnick, and Rachel Cooke examine how narrative power shifts perspective, deepens understanding, and helps build the cultural conditions necessary for lasting impact. 

Tijan Watt, an entrepreneur and impact investor reflects on moving to Senegal to invest in talent, nurture community, and reimagine development from within.

Farah Mami, an entrepreneur and philanthropist living in Carthage, Tunisia, highlights the potential of Tunisia's creative economy and the need for balanced leadership. 

Entrepreneur and CEO Feven Tsehaye explores what it means to lead with care, build with purpose, and honor cultural knowledge.

Entrepreneur Madji Sock reflects on how local traditions inspired scalable investment vehicles, the power of women’s leadership in Senegal, and what it will take to move African ventures from “one to ten.”

Ore Disu, a visionary cultural strategist and founding director of the Institute of the Museum of West African Art, reflects on how objects, stories, and even food become vessels of memory and belonging. 

Social entrepreneur Nwabisa Mayema shares what it means to lead with integrity, build community instead of networks, and embrace entrepreneurship not as hustle, but as healing and legacy-making.

Tom Osborn, a visionary social entrepreneur and community-rooted leader, shares how culturally grounded care, deep listening, and collective healing can transform not just individual lives but entire systems.

Lekgetho Makola—a visual storyteller, cultural strategist, and arts executive—shares how his journey has been shaped by care, community, and a radical commitment to dignified representation.

Leila Ben-Gacem, a social entrepreneur and cultural preservationist, shares her journey from biomedical engineering to community-based entrepreneurship in the heart of Tunis’ historic Medina. 

Semhar Araia, Eritrean-American activist and CEO of Diaspora Academy, delves into the power of the diaspora and diasporic identity, particularly for Black and Brown communities, and the beauty of finding a sense of belonging across traditional borders.

Erika Alexander, actress and co-founder of Color Farm Media, talks about how narratives shape public perception and policy.

Liz Thompson, president, co-founder, and CEO of The CAFE Group, discusses her journey from growing up in Cabrini Green to becoming a transformative figure in philanthropy.

Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of Hispanic Federation, discusses how his queer identity has shaped his work and the vital role grassroots organizations play in supporting Latinx communities.

Rukaiyah Adams, a distinguished financier from Portland and CEO of 1803 Fund, reflects on the effects of systemic racism and the importance of building a beloved community.

Jamie Allison, executive director of the Walter & Elise Haas Fund, discusses trust-based philanthropy and its transformative impact on communities.

Tarik Ward, director of global strategic operations and US programs at ELMA Philanthropies, shares insights on the educational potential of music.

Naomi Ostwald Kawamura, the executive director of Densho, discusses the importance of making history relevant for younger generations.

Mia Birdsong, founding executive director of Next River, discusses what constitutes something as "radical," a future without poverty, and finding joy and optimism in activism.

A dynamic panel discusses building a more equitable world through racial justice, cross-racial solidarity, and community-driven solutions.

Michael Tubbs, founder of End Poverty in California and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, talks about how the importance of storytelling in public policy.

Arlan Hamilton, founder of Backstage Capital and Hire Runner, describes her ascent from homelessness to venture capitalist.

Freedom fighter and writer Brea Baker takes us on her family's tumultuous journey of land ownership and paints a picture of a world post-reparations.

Rebecca Dixon describes her journey—from growing up in rural Mississippi to becoming president and CEO of the National Employment Law Project.

Robert Rooks, one of the nation’s premier criminal justice reformers and CEO of REFORM Alliance, describes what our society can look like if we “educate, not incarcerate.”

Dr. Simran Jeet Singh, executive director of the Religion & Society Program at the Aspen Institute, talks about radical introspection, faith, and action and service.

Climate writer and activist Mary Annaïse Heglar talks about burnout and how the beauty of the South has inspired her work.

María Teresa Kumar, president of Voto Latino and MSNBC contributor, shares how her background as a Colombian immigrant ignited her passion for democracy.

Kalia Abiade, vice president of programs at Pillars Fund, describes the legacy of activism in her family and her dream of making the world a softer place to land for her children and future generations.

Sharif El-Mekki, founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development, shares how his masjid and African Free School education served as the catalyst for his distinguished teaching career.

Anti-racist philanthropic leader F. Javier Torres-Campos shares how his family legacy and lived experiences have shaped his unique approach to philanthropic work.

Bridgit Antoinette Evans, CEO of the Pop Culture Collaborative and an award-winning artist and philanthropy executive, describes the power and promise of narrative change.

Takema Robinson-Llewellyn, founder and CEO of Converge, discusses leadership, radical-self care as an act of revolution, and dreams of a radically just new world.

Nate Wong, chief strategy and social innovation officer of the Beeck Center talks about his cultural heritage and how his background as a cook helped to shape his current vision of the world.

Ashindi Maxton, co-founder and former executive director of the Donors of Color Network, joins Darren to discuss racial equity, voting rights, climate justice, and income inequality.

Raymond Foxworth, PhD, joins the show to talk about his experience growing up in a matrilineal society, land preservation as part of his family heritage, and the struggles of dealing with white dominant institutions.

Dr. Carmen Rojas, the President and Chief Executive Officer at the Marguerite Casey Foundation shares stories of her upbringing as a child of Venezuelan and Nicaraguan immigrants, confronts the complexities and contradictions of the social sector, and offers us a space to think and dream boldly.

Forged in the fire of the civil rights and anti-Vietnam war era, the motivation Urvashi Vaid carried with her to turn the system on its head was nothing short of relentless. Her work in advocacy, policy, and philanthropy has shaped the bedrock on which many of our efforts now rest.

Join our conversation with Rhonda Broussard, an award-winning education entrepreneur, public speaker, and a queer Black mother, as we discover how to open doors through language, trace the importance of our lineages and loved ones, and interrogate systems that have long needed to be corrected.