Episode 1: Building a Community Without Hunger with Suzan Neiger Gould

Welcome to the Pioneers of Possibility Podcast, where host Kareem Afzal speaks with leaders transforming their communities, organizations, and themselves for a better world.

Our first guest is Suzan Neiger Gould, Executive Director of Manna on Main Street in Lansdale, PA. Suzan shares her inspiring path from education and camp leadership to nonprofit service, where she has grown Manna into a national model for community collaboration.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- How Suzan’s upbringing in Levittown shaped her values of equity and service.

- Why her years running a Quaker summer camp prepared her for nonprofit leadership.

- The story behind North Penn Commons, a groundbreaking collaboration among four nonprofits.

- How Manna never closed a single day during the pandemic, tripling meal distribution.

- The ambitious 10-year plan to create “a North Penn where no one is hungry.”

- Suzan’s two leadership “secret sauces”: vision and empathy.

Guest Bio:

Suzan Neiger Gould has served as Executive Director of Manna on Main Street since 2012, guiding the organization through transformative growth in food distribution, job training, and community partnerships. Under her leadership, Manna has expanded services to reach over 160,000 meals annually and launched innovative programs addressing food insecurity in Montgomery County, PA.

Resources & Links:

- Learn more about Manna on Main Street: mannaonmain.org

- Support Manna’s mission: https://mannaonmain.org/donate

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, and leave a review to help others discover the Pioneers of Possibility Podcast.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pioneerspod.substack.com