Good Tidings Podcast

Welcome to the Good Tidings Podcast with host, Larry Harper, Founder of the Good Tidings Foundation. This podcast is all about highlighting the good in people and what individuals are doing to make an impact in this world all for the benefit of others, while aiming to inspire a community of givers! On today’s episode, Larry interviews the Founder of The Aloha Award – Mark Hartmann.

The conversation starts out with Mark sharing his unique upbringing in the Panama Canal Zone and how the ocean created a lifelong calling. A successful career in finance was followed by a teaching stint at Stanford Business School which led to an opportunity to work for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Mark was then faced with a life altering medical diagnosis which reminded him of his love for the ocean and all the good that comes from it. His goal was to honor all the charitable people doing good in and around the ocean as well as providing financial capital that is much needed in this industry. Thus, The Aloha Award was born.

This episode of the Good Tidings Podcast, finds host Larry Harper, sitting in the dugout of Oracle Park just prior to a Giants game interviewing the first female coach in MLB history – Alyssa Nakken. The conversation starts out with Alyssa sharing her love of softball and baseball while growing up in the Northern California town of Woodland.

Alyssa shares with Larry how her opportunity came to be with the Giants. Coach Nakken discusses her passion for helping women thrive in a male dominated sport and how the Giants have provided that access. Earlier this year, she succeeded Buster Posey as the Commissioner for the Junior Giants – the flagship program for the Giants Community Fund. Alyssa is a firm believer, that so many life skills can be learned on a baseball field where 30,000 kids can play for free thanks to this program. Good Tidings is the official partner of the San Francisco Giants in building the fields for Junior Giants.

Welcome to the Good Tidings Podcast with host, Larry Harper, Founder of the Good Tidings Foundation. On today’s episode, Larry interviews Founder of Eastside College Preparatory, Chris Bischof. Larry and Chris start off by discussing Chris’ lifelong passion for education. While an undergrad student at Stanford, he felt drawn to the East Palo Alto community. He first started his outreach there by running an afterschool program called Shoot for the Stars. This passion increased and led Chris to founding Eastside College Preparatory. What first started with 9 students on a park bench has grown into an over 5-acre campus with state-of-the-art school facilities, resources, and on-campus dorms for students. Larry and Chris end the conversation by reflecting on a decade’s long partnership between the Good Tidings Foundation and Eastside Prep and how they plan to continue partnering in the future.

Welcome to the Good Tidings Podcast with host, Larry Harper, Founder of the Good Tidings Foundation. On today’s episode, Larry interviews Humanitarian and Dodger Legend – Steve Garvey. The conversation begins with Steve reminiscing on his impressive baseball career where he holds some records that will likely never be broken, and how from day one as a youngster, he was destined to be a Dodger. Steve now spends all of his time helping numerous charities through his role as the Los Angeles Dodgers Community Ambassador. And the interview winds up with Larry and Steve talking about working together on the recently opened LeRoy Neiman Art Studio in Los Angeles.

Welcome to the Good Tidings Podcast with host, Larry Harper, Founder of the Good Tidings Foundation. This podcast is all about highlighting the good in people and what individuals are doing to make an impact in this world all for the benefit of others, while aiming to inspire a community of givers! On today’s episode, Larry interviews 3x World Series Champion, Jeremy Affeldt. Jeremy begins by sharing his baseball journey leading him to three World Series championships with the San Francisco Giants.Larry and Jeremy reflect on their first meeting, 10 years ago, when Affeldt and the Good Tidings Foundation partnered on a Junior Giants Field in Modesto.They then move on to discuss Jeremy’s decades long passion of combating poverty in the United States and throughout the rest of the world. This passion led to tackling many other severe issues such as child slavery and human trafficking which he shares are more prevalent in our communities than most people realize.

Welcome to the Good Tidings Podcast. On today’s episode, Larry interviews the Founder of Canine Guardians Service Dogs, Rochelle Heskett.

Larry’s interview takes place in the GT Van in Napa, CA, the home of Canine Guardians Service Dogs. Larry and Rochelle discuss how they first met through an introduction by San Francisco Giant great, Mike Krukow. Rochelle shares how she started in the service dog business which she operates completely out of her home. She describes the type of dog that makes the best service dog and how long the training of these special animals takes. Rochelle goes on to share the importance of the “puppy parent” where the dog lives from about 6 months old to 2 years of age and how critical weekly consistent training is to the young dogs. Larry closes with how grateful he is to have a Canine Guardians service dog named Dana so he can continue to navigate a normal life.

The Larry’s sat down at Oracle Park and reflected on a decade’s long partnership between Good Tidings and the SF Giants. Larry Baer shares his story of being a fourth generation San Franciscan who has forever been passionate about Giants baseball. As a kid, he dreamt of becoming a player or broadcaster, but ultimately found his passion in the Front Office. As an executive, Baer has always understood that the Giants are much more than a business. They are an entity that means so much to the fans and the greater community. Growth of community presence has been a fundamental part of the Giants’ mission and something that has led to the teams’ success on and off the field. Baer feels proud to personally be a part of unique ways the organization has been able to give back mainly through the Giants Community Fund. Having already created and built 26 Junior Giants Fields together, the Good Tidings Foundation and the Giants Community Fund are looking forward to many more projects to come. Stay tuned for two Junior Giants Fields to be built this year in Vallejo and Hollister, CA.

On today's episode, Larry interviews the Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Nichol Whiteman. Larry and Nichol sat down at Bresee Youth Center located in the shadows of Dodgers Stadium. They discuss their upcoming partnership on an Art Studio to be built at Bresee along with the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation. Nichol shares the impact that Bresee has in tackling poverty in the Los Angeles area. Nichol discusses the key initiatives of the Dodgers Foundation and how it is necessary for them to use the Dodger brand to amplify voices and provide access and opportunity to marginalized communities. Listen to how the Dodgers Foundation, under Nichol's vision, continues to ‘hit it out of the ballpark’ with their outreach and fundraising.

Season Four of the Good Tidings Podcast kicks off with a double episode featuring the great work of Greg Bertish and Rob Sanderson. These two Founders have both recently benefitted from Good Tidings’ Accelerator program which aids growing charities by sharing the “secret sauce” used by Good Tidings over the past 29 years.

The episode begins with Larry chatting with Greg Bertish and how battling through a rare heart disease launched him into a life of service using the ocean as his partner. Greg, who grew up during Apartheid in South Africa, shares his inspirational story from lying in a hospital bed to launching two amazing non-profits.

Part two of the episode finds Larry in Manhattan Beach, CA visiting with the Founder of SWEL, Rob Sanderson. Similar to Greg’s story is Rob’s. As a police officer in Kansas City, he saved a service man from ending his life. Hear how he takes first responders and service men and women from land locked states to the ocean, as he says it, to “reinvigorate our heroes”.

On today's episode, Larry interviews Celebrity Chef – Michelle Minori. Larry begins the interview by telling Michelle how he first came to know her when he and his wife were watching Bravo’s Top Chef, where she was a Season 16 Finalist. Michelle also shares her other experiences competing on chef shows on the Food Network. She tells Larry how growing up in Lodi, CA influenced her love for food and the community it can create. Much of the interview is dedicated to how food and philanthropy come together and all the non-profits she’s involved with.