Ron Rapatalo is a connector, coach, and culture-shifter. A proud New Yorker and the son of Filipino immigrants, Ron brings over two decades of experience in K-12 education, nonprofit leadership, and executive search. He's dedicated his career to cultivating equity and empowering and mission driven organizations. His experiences include leadership roles at Teach for America, New Leaders, Edgility Consulting, Stronger Consulting, and as an advisory board member at Harvard Business Review. 

As the host of the RONderings podcast, Ron delves into conversations around leadership, Identity wellness, exploring the superpowers that drive personal and professional transformation beyond his professional endeavors. Ron, like all of us, contains multitudes: serving as a career coach, an author, a public speaker, and the founder of the Rapatalo Group LLC, alongside his wife Shanita. 

Ron’s mission? To dismantle systemic inequities and help leaders and organizations thrive with purpose and integrity. Whether he’s coaching senior leaders or chatting with an Uber driver, Ron’s superpower is building trust—fast.

This episode is full of wisdom for anyone navigating leadership, identity, career pivots, or simply trying to live with more alignment. Ron shares openly about what it means to choose purpose over prestige, the power of relationships, and how even professional setbacks (like getting fired) can become transformational growth moments.

If you’re a mission-driven leader, this conversation is for you.

Ron’s got some great lessons for leaders: 

• Building trust is a Superpower
• You Are Not Your Job
• Ask Better Questions in Your Career
• Your Network Is Your Safety Net

...........

Connect with Ron!

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rapatalo/

Ron’s Newsletter - RONservations

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/ronservations-7192945637582086144/

Ronderings Podcast 

https://open.spotify.com/show/4Pimm7Z4j7FO3EiQRxralb

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………

Producer, editor and host: Ryan Maxwell

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The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

What does it look like to reflect deeply on education systems—after you’ve learned across the ocean and back again 

…and before you’ve even graduated high school?

In this  episode, Ryan sits down with Isamu Thung, a recent graduate of High Tech High and one of the most thoughtful young leaders discussing learning, equity, and systems transformation. Despite just finishing high school, Isamu brings a level of wisdom, humility, and systems-thinking that challenges adults in the field to go deeper.

We explore:

• The hard lessons of leadership and the tension between control and compassion
• What Isamu learned by moving between the U.S. and Japan’s educational systems
• How a single semester of empowered teaching transformed his trajectory
• Why good structure creates freedom—and too much freedom can paralyze
• What it means to walk with someone through their learning journey

Whether he’s designing professional development tools, mentoring middle schoolers, or rethinking how systems shape outcomes, Isamu shows us what’s possible when curiosity meets deep reflection.

This episode is full of insights about identity, courage, and the kind of leadership that grows through humility and struggle. 

Connect with Isamu Thung:

Website:

https://isamuthung.com

LinkedIn: Isamu Thung

https://www.linkedin.com/in/isamu-thung-55429b288/

Email: [email protected]

Ron Berger’s Unboxed episode (featuring Isamu):

“Schools Can Get Better at Unleashing Student Potential”

https://hthgse.edu/podcasts/schools-can-get-better-at-unleashing-student-potential/

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The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

In this episode, we hear stories — an ancient form of wisdom — as I get to talk with the incomparable Dr. César Cruz.

A Mexican-born, Compton-raised educator, César has spent over three decades walking alongside young people who the system has marginalized—not to fix them, but to help them remember their worth. He is the co-founder of Homies Empowerment, a grassroots organization in East Oakland that began as a leadership class for gang-impacted youth and has grown into a full ecosystem for good.

In this deeply powerful and provocative conversation, he shares how AI “ancestral intelligence,” grief, graffiti, and basic human needs for belonging all shaped his vision for education.

In This Episode, we discuss:

• Speaking your truth and acting from the lessons of experience 
• What gangs, and Girl Scouts have in common
• The journey from subtractive schooling to self-liberation
• Harvard, the complexity of his experience at a famous institution
• The dangers of founder syndrome and the healing power of letting go
• Learning from the deep challenges of being in the darkness of inner struggle — and the power of ancestors to bring us back
• Building a high school that centers youth voice, justice, and joy

“You are not what you do.  You are not a human doer, you are a human being.  So stop doing and just be.”

Relevant Links:

Homies Empowerment

Donate to Homies Empowerment

Bloom's Taxonomy

Maslow vs Blackfoot  - Shane Safir

Ikigai - a passion that gives value and joy to life

 The four categories:

• “what you love,” 
• “what the world needs,” 
• “what you can be paid for,” and 
• “what you are good at”

Immunity to Change Framework

Immunity to Change - the book for sale at Bookshop.org through Semicolon Bookshop

Wounded by School

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The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

Dr. Arria Coburn - Your Team is Not a Family — It’s a Partnership for Impact

What happens when a new leader inherits a tight-knit “school family”—then faces budget cuts? Or when you’re asked to define your leadership style before you even know how to lead? In this episode, Dr. Arria Coburn opens up about her evolution as an educational leader: from criminal justice major to special education teacher to award-winning principal and now district executive.

Dr. Arria Coburn brings nearly two decades of experience in public education. She led the Springfield Renaissance School in Massachusetts to national recognition, including the Magnet School of the Year Award and a 100% college acceptance rate for graduates. Now, in Hartford, she supports a cohort of 10 school principals and helps build equitable, student-centered systems. She is a 2021 Northeastern Ed.D. graduate and a speaker with the Nellie Mae Foundation’s Speakers Bureau.

She shares powerful lessons from moments of uncertainty and courage—facing hard conversations, owning her authenticity, and learning to pause, reflect, and lead with purpose. Whether you’re new to leadership or coaching others through it, this conversation is rich with tools for navigating complexity while staying anchored in mission.

In This Episode, we discuss:

• The myth (and danger) of the “we’re a family” leadership culture
• What to do when budget cuts force you to make the hardest calls
• Why leaders should not resolve conflict over email
• Finding your true voice as a leader—especially when you feel like an imposter
• The quiet power of showing up as your full self, and how student voice shaped her leadership

“We are a group of human beings who are on this journey and you are linked together with the same cause… And I think it’s what unites.”

Relevant Links:

Springfield Renaissance School

Nellie Mae Speakers Bureau

Hartford Public Schools

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The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

Chris Widmaier is the Founder & Executive Director of Rochester Ecology Partners (REP), a nonprofit that “serves people in Greater Rochester through nature-based learning and community-building.”   

A former award-winning classroom teacher and instructional coach, Chris left a secure career, earned an MBA-equivalent at RIT, and launched REP on January 1, 2022. His work now centres on helping young people—and the adults who guide them—find nature where they live, work and play.

Enjoy the conversation, share it with a leader connected to community through nature and education and learn to think big, act with intention!

In this episode we discuss:

• Chris’s origin story - Tide-pool research in Maine sparks a lifelong commitment to connect people with the natural world  
• “Teaching is direct action.” - Chris explains how the classroom became his first arena for systems-level change
• Building REP - From boot-strapping to 501(c)(3) status, partnering with Milwaukee’s Urban Ecology Center, and designing an “ecosystem” of nearby-nature lessons, field studies and community events
• Measuring impact - Why outdoor learning reaches multilingual learners and neuro-divergent students—and how REP is quantifying those gains
• Leadership lessons - Courage, intentional structures and the power of thinking big while acting locally

“We hear it from kids all the time: ‘I feel free today.’” 

Links & resources

Rochester Ecology Partners – https://rochesterecologypartners.org (about page, programs, upcoming events)    

Urban Ecology Center (Milwaukee) – inspiration for REP’s model – https://urbanecologycenter.org

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The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

Tierionna Pinkston is a dynamic school leader, educator, and community advocate currently serving as the principal of The Noble Academy in Chicago. Tierionna brings both fierce intellect and deep heart to her work. Known for her commitment to antiracist education and restorative practices, she leads with vision, vulnerability, and a relentless belief in the brilliance of young people. Her leadership is shaped by experience in the classroom, lessons from her own family, and a growing network of Black school leaders committed to healing and liberation in education.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Tierionna’s journey from Louisville to Chicago and why she chose urban education as her life’s work.
• Lessons learned the hard way about transferring leadership skills to a brand-new campus (spoiler: listen before you fix).
• Surviving — and then thriving — in a “brutal” first year as principal by reclaiming authenticity and wellness.
• Building belonging through design-thinking: how re-imagining physical space and culture helped steady a school.
• Legacy Scholars, a Cabrini-Green–focused pathway at The Noble Academy aimed at reparative justice and college readiness.
• Why a principal’s self-care isn’t selfish: 

“If I am not well, nothing else is. The schoolhouse is well when the principal is well.” 

Relevant Links & Resources:

The Noble Academy – campus site & enrollment info

https://nobleschools.org/nobleacademy/

Noble Schools 

https://nobleschools.org/

Tierionna Pinkston on LinkedIn – follow her leadership reflections

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tierionna-pinkston-403b07131

Surge Fellowship

https://surgeinstitute.org/surge-fellowship/

Cabrini-Green Homes history – context for the neighborhood The Noble Academy serves

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabrini%E2%80%93Green_Homes

Give to support Legacy Scholars - an education program that supports young people whose families experienced the displacement and injustice of the policies around Cabrini Green:
https://give.nobleschools.org/give/673051/#!/donation/checkout

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Guitar music:

Courtenaye Jackson: - From Prosecutor to Purpose: A Journey to Justice

What does it mean to lead with purpose, principle, and power?

This episode features Courtenaye Jackson—currently General Counsel for the Children’s Aid Society in New York City. With a $300M endowment and a wide portfolio of schools and social services, Courtenaye brings legal expertise and deep conviction to systems in service of children and justice.

But her path wasn’t linear. From growing up in Queens with dreams of being a forest ranger, to tipping sheep at Cornell, to launching a powerful legal career that has spanned the Manhattan DA’s Office, human trafficking interventions, and a decade as General Counsel for the NYC Department of Education, Courtenaye has lived what it means to fail forward.

Together, we explore:

• How formative failures taught her what her real “genius” is
• The ethical weight of criminal prosecution—and why she left it
• Stories of trauma, resilience, and redemption in the justice system
• How to lead when your team might not all be aligned
• What it means to truly change a system, not just work in one
• How compassion and justice go hand in hand

Courtenaye’s work invites us to ask:
Are we building systems that solve problems—or perpetuate them for profit? 

Are we willing to reset when the path we chose no longer serves our purpose?

⸻

Learn More:

•Children’s Aid Society

•NYC Department of Education

•Center for Justice Innovation (formerly Center for Court Innovation)

•Midtown Community Court

“I think we’re all called. Not everybody gets to pick what they’re good at. I think that’s part of the design—your genius is the packaging for your purpose.”

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Producer, editor and host: Ryan Maxwell

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The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

Bernie Shakeshaft is the founder of Backtrack Youth Works, a nonprofit based in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. For nearly 20 years, Bernie and his pack of working dogs have helped young people who’ve been kicked out of everything—school, home, the justice system—find purpose, responsibility, and healing.

In this episode, Bernie shares how his own troubled youth, time as a jackaroo, and lessons from Aboriginal elders shaped the radical, relationship-driven model of Backtrack. From confronting youth tragedies and incarceration to chasing dreams and building trust through dogs, Bernie’s story is one of deep commitment and humility.

-

We discuss:

• What kids really need to survive and thrive
• How dogs teach us to lead with empathy
• The cost of following rules when they go against what’s right
• What it means to step back and plan for the next generation of leadership

Watch & Learn More:

Backtrack Boys – Documentary

Bernie’s Man of the Year acceptance video (2020 Australian Local Hero)

Backtrack Youth Works

“We do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes.”

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Producer, editor and host: Ryan Maxwell

Theme music: Ryan Raddatz

Guitar music: Adeline’s Guitar

The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

There is no Episode 13.

There is no 19th Story.

There is no Miss Zarves.

Look it up.

You are in for a treat.

It’s who you know….

And, see, I know you. 

And you know people. You know inspiring leaders who would make excellent guests for the Exceptionally Good podcast. 

Leaders on a mission for a better world. 

They are exceptionally good not because they were born with it or heroic. 

But because they are just regular humans like you and me — and they are driven to contribute to good in the world. 

You know the world needs their voice. 

And you know them. 

And I know you. 

Recommend them. 

Link in bio and here ⬇️:

Recommend a leader to be a guest!

https://forms.gle/GzHAYmzueE3UnarY6