This episode features  Hun Taing, an executive leader, innovator, coach, and Cambodian genocide survivor, sharing her extraordinary journey of building a career at the intersection of justice and healing. Drawing from over 20 years in labor rights, public health, civil rights, and organizational transformation, Hun opens up about personal resilience, the power of humanizing conflict, and practical strategies for meaningful impact in turbulent times.

Why Take a Listen 

• Hun’s story as a Cambodian genocide survivor and refugee—and how her lived experiences instilled a lifelong dedication to equity and healing.

• Actionable insights on entering and advancing in social change careers, including labor organizing, conflict transformation, DEI, and public service.

• Navigating challenges to equity and inclusion in today’s climate, and strategies for advocating sustainable change in bureaucratic systems.

• Hun’s career trajectory from activism and the labor movement (SEIU, ACLU) to systems-level inclusion and leadership consulting via Training for Transformation.

• The transformative role of mindfulness, art, and community-based programs (like healing gardens for refugee elders) in building resilient organizations and individuals.

• Advice for selecting values-aligned advanced education and tips for job seekers managing uncertainty in competitive markets.

• Resources on healing, art, and reconciliation, including Hun’s master’s thesis and research in Cambodia.

• Practical encouragement for working within, on, or around systems, and tools for sustaining yourself and your community in uncertain times.

Featured Resources Mentioned in the Podcast

• Memories of Cambodia (Hun’s Story on YouTube)

• Training for Transformation, LLC

• SEIU (Service Employees International Union)

• ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)

• School for International Training (SIT)

• “The Way Out Is In” podcast (Thich Nhat Hanh/Plum Village)

• Connect with Hun on LinkedIn

 

About Hun Taing: Hun Taing (she/her) is passionate about building healthy and effective organizations to lead meaningful change. For more than twenty years, she has served in executive leadership roles, driving organizational transformation in labor rights, environmental justice, civil rights, and public health. She finds fulfillment in coaching social change leaders to identify and transform behavior patterns that are hindering their goals. Her work centers on aligning policy, people, and practice to build inclusive, mission-driven institutions. She is a Chinese-Cambodian genocide survivor and refugee, married to a Black man from Oakland, and raising three children. Joy comes from mindfulness, gardening, and deep connections with people and nature.

 

PCDN Resources

• Subscribe to the PCDN Career Digest Curated global jobs, funding, and resources for social impact careers https://pcdn.global/subscribe

• Listen to More Episodes Conversations with over 180 changemakers in 30+ countries https://pcdn.global/listen

• Subscribe to the AI for Impact Newsletter Tools, jobs, and insights at the intersection of AI and social good https://impactai.beehiiv.com