Journalist and photographer KK Ottesen has photographed and interviewed the world’s most notable politicians and activists. She is a regular contributor to The Washington Post Magazine, and her work has appeared in many other international publications.
Her new book, “Activist: Portraits of Courage” includes portraits of Stacey Abrams, John Lewis, Tarana Burke, Edward Snowden, Bernie Sanders, Cecile Richards, Al Sharpton, Gabrielle Giffords, Angela Davis, and many more. In her book, these world-changers recount the experiences that sparked their work in social justice and politics and share the beliefs that keep them going.
In the first half of this episode, KK shares how through her interviews with them, she learned that most of the famous activists we know of today started their journeys simply by believing that a different world is possible, taking one small action step, and then committing to taking step after step. In the second half, she shares that anyone who has hope for a better future can be an activist. It’s more simple than you might think.





Guest: KK Ottesen, author of “Activist: Portraits of Courage”

Buy KK’s book and follow @kk.ottesen on Instagram





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What We Can Learn From the World’s Most Notable Activists

Sounds Good hosts hopeful conversations with optimists and world-changers about the headlines we can be hopeful about — and how you can get involved and make a difference. Every week, Good Good Good founder Branden Harvey sits down with the people driving positive change against the world's greatest problems. Each episode will leave you with a sense of hope about the good in the world — and a sense of direction on how we can all be a part of that good. Episodes are released every Monday.

Dive deeper into these stories and find more good news at goodgoodgood.co and @goodgoodgoodco.

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Sounds Good Season Finale // If you've been looking for a sign to change your life, this is it. As you've probably figured out by now, life isn't a linear line. It's full of ups and downs, uncertainty, and confusion; however, what guides us through is intentionality. That's what illustrator and author Adam J. Kurtz's fourth book, You Are Here (For Now): A Guide to Finding Your Way, tackles. In it are essays and illustrations aimed to help readers with personal transformation — instead of simply living life getting through it day by day, Kurtz wants you to actually enjoy where you are and who you are.
As a best-selling designer, artist, and public speaker (whose work has been featured in the New Yorker, NYLON, and more), Adam has dedicated his whole life to finding the humor, truth, and optimism in being alive. He channels the lessons he's learned through his art and wants you to know that it's all going to be okay. His art and stationary brand has been sold all over the world and he's amassed a big social media following through his work in mental health. In this episode, Adam J. Kurtz talks to us about what purpose really means to him and how we’re never as alone as we feel.





Guest: Adam J. Kurtz, author of You Are Here (For Now): A Guide to Finding Your Way

Order You Are Here (For Now) on Bookshop or Amazon and follow Adam J. Kurtz on Instagram and Twitter





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Backhanded Optimism with Adam J. Kurtz

The gap between good intentions and real change is a big one to fill. While many companies are interested in making their workplaces more diverse, it’s not enough to simply want more inclusion. It takes real systemic change to transform any professional setting into an equitable one and many value-driven organizations find themselves stuck at being just short of making real progress. Thankfully, that’s what our next guest is working to solve. Bethaney Wilkinson is the author of The Diversity Gap, a guide to instituting diversity efforts in workplaces.
Bethaney’s lived experience as a Black woman in Georgia has been a driving force in writing The Diversity Gap. She's spent over 10 years working with values-driven organizations to diversify their teams, serve their neighbors, and pursue social change with integrity and authenticity. She’s also the founder of The Diversity Gap Academy, an online learning platform which aims to provide leaders with racial justice education. In this episode, Bethaney shares what racial justice means to her and how people can create an inclusive workplace environment where everyone can feel safe.





Guest: Bethaney Wilkinson, author of The Diversity Gap and founder of the Diversity Gap Academy

Order The Diversity Gap (Amazon) (Bookshop) and visit thediversitygap.com





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How to Turn Good Intentions into Real Change in Your Workplace

Develop for Good pairs students with nonprofits to use tech to make a difference. The founder of the organization, Mary Zhu, is no stranger to the experiences of underserved communities. She’s the daughter of two Chinese immigrants and her cultural background was a huge driving force in helping see disparities in marginalized communities… and how to bridge those gaps. In high school, Mary even founded her first nonprofit organization — which aimed to sponsor children in underserved communities by selling cakes to the community. After spending four years at Stanford University, Mary noticed that technology and innovation weren’t intersecting with nonprofit spaces — so she decided to change this on her own.
Now, she’s the co-founder and executive director of Develop for Good, a nonprofit program that “pairs, trains and supports student volunteers as they develop technical product solutions for nonprofits.” Students who are pros at technology are able to gain hands-on experience doing innovative and world-changing work for nonprofits. And nonprofits are able to take their work to the next level through technology.
In this episode, Mary talks about how her childhood experiences impacted the work she does now, the value of social work, and the unique nature of her nonprofit — one that affords young people the chance to work in the tech industry without the financial burden Mary is so familiar with.





Guest: Mary Zhu, co-founder and executive director of Develop for Good

Visit Develop for Good’s website, developforgood.org





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Develop for Good Is Pairing Ivy League Students with Nonprofits

Growing up in the racially and economically segregated suburbs of Maryland, Patrice Berry found herself wanting to work in U.S. policymaking after experiencing firsthand how hard it is for marginalized folks to finish school, get assistance, and provide for their families.
She now works for the mayor of Oakland, California, working to improve local and state laws. It was there that she was inspired to found AssistHub, an app that helps Californians access any public benefits they may be eligible for. As it turns out, there’s a ton of unclaimed public benefits that’s available to everyone: $60 billion to be exact — and AssistHub is working to change that.
Finding the intersection between technology and public good is something Patrice has done successfully. In this episode, Patrice talks about her work with Oakland’s local community-based organizations, the inspirations that drive her goals, and the misconceptions of what public benefits are — and how Patrice is working to deconstruct those misconceptions.





Guest: Patrice Berry, founder of AssistHub

Visit AssistHub’s website, www.assisthub.org





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Meet the App That Helps People Find Public Benefits

After trading jazz for a Harvard education, this doctor chose to support refugees by not only working in a refugee camp in Turkey, but by developing an app that supports refugees’ unique healthcare needs.
One of the major challenges of being a refugee is the lack of access to real healthcare, particularly for refugee women. But through the power of empathy and tech, there are now more avenues for refugees seeking proper care for their basic needs.
This week, we are joined by Aral Sürmeli, a Harvard educated refugee healthcare provider. Sürmeli has worked to offer solutions through public advocacy and digital solutions for refugees seeking shelter, pregnancy care, and much more. After starting his Masters in Public Health at Harvard University in the fall of 2018, Aral launched the HERA app — a mobile app connecting refugee mothers and children with preventative healthcare.
Before discovering his passion for refugee work, Aral spent his high school years in Turkey working for nonprofits and providing care for vulnerable communities. After losing his father to pancreatic cancer, however, Aral decided to study medicine and developed a focus in public health. In this episode, he shares how he became interested in refugee health after a visit to Turkish refugee camps — and how he’s exploring and working to solve the unique complications for refugees accessing healthcare through tech.





Guest: Aral Sürmeli, humanitarian and founder of HERA

Visit HERA’s website, project-hera.com.





Sponsor: For purpose-driven brands and organizations looking for an agency specializing in collaborative problem solving and expert craftsmanship — learn more about Moon March moonmarch.com.

Sponsor: Listen to the podcast Breaking Glass at breakingglasspodcast.com/good.





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What We Can Learn From the World’s Most Notable Activists

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