Two daughters. One orange. Conflict. Their mother, seeking peace, cuts it in half — a classic compromise. What mom doesn’t know? One wants the juice, the other the zest. Yet there they are: nobody gets what they need.

It’s a parable that is often told in conflict resolution circles. But in the hands of Mariah Levison — CEO and President of the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution — it is an elegant metaphor for the missed opportunities that happen when we rush toward solutions without first understanding our problems.

This week, Carrie sits down with Mariah alongside Convergence’s founder and Senior Advisor, Robert J. Fersh. They are collaborators in mission and architects of a process that helps unlikely allies find common ground. Together, they’ve worked across some of the most polarized issues of our time: education, healthcare, criminal justice, and beyond.

Their approach isn’t about compromise. It’s about something more ambitious and, paradoxically, more human. It’s about convergence: the point where stories intersect, values overlap, and relationships begin to matter more than ideology.

They unpack how durable policy solutions emerge not from debate, but from curiosity. How listening — real, intentional, difficult listening — can transform even the most entrenched opponents into collaborators. And how the secret to solving today’s toughest challenges asks all of us to move away from righteousness, and toward relationship. After all, what divides us often pales in comparison to what we all want — fairness, belonging, safety, and dignity.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would take to really change the tone of a divided room—or a divided nation—we want this episode to leave you with more than hope. It will leave you with a blueprint.

Links & Notes

• Learn more about Convergence Center for Policy Resolution
• Explore the book: From Conflict to Convergence by Rob Fersh and Mariah Levison
• Read Mariah’s column on 10 Shared Beliefs Most Americans Hold

• (00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward