How do you make a document written more than 230 years ago come alive for a generation raised on YouTube, social media, and streaming video? Janine Turner and Cathy Gillespie believe the answer isn't another textbook—it's storytelling.

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with the founder and CEO of Constituting America to explore how they've spent the past fifteen years transforming civics education through film, music, classroom engagement, and student creativity. They share the personal stories that led them to launch the organization, the lessons they've learned building a national nonprofit, and why they believe America's future depends on helping young people understand not just the Constitution itself, but the remarkable ideas that have preserved freedom for nearly 250 years.

Whether you're a nonprofit leader, educator, parent, or someone who cares about developing the next generation of leaders, this conversation offers practical insights into visionary leadership, the power of creativity, and what it takes to build a mission-driven organization that is changing lives.

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Dr. Joshua Hall, Dean of the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University, for a conversation about leadership, mentorship, economic opportunity, and the future of higher education.

Josh shares how one professor changed the course of his life, why thriving communities are built on strong institutions, and how visionary leadership can reshape an entire state. From helping secure a transformational $20 million gift to launching nationally recognized programs in business ethics, artificial intelligence, and experiential learning, he explains why the best leaders focus less on preserving institutions and more on redesigning them to serve people better.

Along the way, Josh offers practical lessons on building teams, aligning incentives, raising bold philanthropic support, embracing experimentation, and preparing students for a rapidly changing world. Whether you lead a nonprofit, a business, a university, or simply want to make a greater impact through your own work, this conversation offers an inspiring look at what it really means to go big by investing in people and creating opportunities that last.

David Rubenstein has spent a lifetime building extraordinary institutions—and studying the leaders who built the ones that came before him.

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with the co-founder of The Carlyle Group for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, American history, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and the enduring qualities that define great leaders. Drawing on decades of studying presidents, founders, military leaders, and CEOs, Rubenstein shares why humility often matters more than charisma, why perseverance is a better predictor of success than early achievement, and what today's leaders can learn from figures like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and James Baker.

Together, they explore whether the American Revolution was the greatest startup in history, whether America is still a worthy long-term investment, why capitalism has fueled one of history's greatest traditions of philanthropy, and what gives Rubenstein optimism about the nation's future despite today's challenges.

Whether you're leading a business, building a nonprofit, serving your community, or simply looking to make a greater contribution, this conversation offers timeless lessons on leadership, institution building, and living a life that leaves a lasting legacy.

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with filmmaker Jon Erwin, the creative force behind Young Washington, the new theatrical release opening July 3. Known for I Can Only Imagine, Jesus Revolution, American Underdog, and House of David, Erwin shares why this film is his most ambitious project yet — and why he believes this is a story audiences should experience on the big screen.

In this episode of Going Big!, Kevin Gentry sits down with Senator Steve Daines for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, risk, entrepreneurship, family, and public service. Daines reflects on the major leaps that shaped his life, from moving his young family to China with Procter & Gamble, to helping build RightNow Technologies in Bozeman, to stepping into the political arena and serving 14 years in Congress.

Together, they explore what China looks like up close, what entrepreneurship taught him about leadership under pressure, why he felt called into public service, and why he says this next chapter is not about retirement but repurposing. The conversation also touches on marriage, grief, gratitude, and the kind of legacy he hopes to leave for the next generation.

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Dr. Jane Kamensky, president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, for a timely conversation about Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence, and the ideas that have shaped America for nearly 250 years.

Kamensky explains why Jefferson was chosen to draft the Declaration at just 33 years old, how divided and uncertain the Continental Congress really was, and why the document’s opening vision became far more than a list of grievances. She also explores the central contradiction in Jefferson’s legacy: how the author of words about equality could also participate in slavery on a vast scale.

Together, they discuss America’s approaching 250th anniversary, the meaning of reflective patriotism, and the role that Monticello plays in preserving that legacy into the future.

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Princeton professor Dr. Robert George for a wide-ranging conversation about truth, freedom, virtue, and the future of the American experiment. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, Robert reflects on what Americans often misunderstand about the founders, why George Washington was indispensable, and why a republic cannot survive without moral seriousness and civic friendship.

George also shares his own remarkable story, from growing up in Appalachia as the grandson of immigrant coal miners to becoming one of the country’s leading public intellectuals. Along the way, he explains why free speech is essential to truth-seeking, what his friendship with Cornel West teaches about disagreement, and why he remains hopeful about the next generation of Americans.

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry welcomes economist Daniel Di Martino back for a timely conversation about Venezuela, freedom, assimilation, and the future of America. Raised in Caracas during one of the most dramatic political and economic collapses in modern history, Daniel shares what it was like to watch shortages, inflation, and repression reshape everyday life, and how those experiences led him to come to the United States and speak out.

Together, they explore what prosperous societies forget, why immigration and assimilation matter, what Daniel’s research says about family and culture, and why he remains hopeful about both Venezuela and America. This episode offers a firsthand look at the cost of collectivism and a serious conversation about freedom, opportunity, and where nations go from here.

In this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry sits down with producer Drake Springer and director Meredith Danluck to discuss Why We Dream, a documentary that follows World War II veterans returning to Normandy 80 years after D-Day. With many of the veterans now more than 100 years old, the film captures a vanishing generation’s memories of war, service, sacrifice, and the lives they built afterward.

After losing her husband, Navy SEAL Lieutenant Brendan Looney, in Afghanistan, Amy Looney Heffernan could have stepped back from the world. Instead, she chose a harder path: building a life of service, leadership, and impact in his memory.

On this episode of Going Big!, host Kevin Gentry talks with Amy, now President of the Travis Manion Foundation, about grief, resilience, Memorial Day, and how service can help turn pain into purpose. She shares the deeply personal story behind her journey, the values Brendan lived by, and how the Foundation is equipping veterans, families of the fallen, and young people to lead with character in communities across America.

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