Welcome to The Social Impact Podcast, where we explore stories of individuals and organizations making a difference in the world. In this episode, join us as we sit down with Christine Ross, the founder and Executive Director of Aid Another.

Christine's journey began with a personal need: the desire to provide her sons, both diagnosed with Autism, with the same enriching experiences as her older son. Out of this necessity, Aid Another was born, a nonprofit organization dedicated to offering adaptive athletics, arts, and a sense of community for individuals with disabilities.

In this candid conversation, Christine shares the challenges and triumphs of creating a nonprofit from the ground up, emphasizing the importance of inclusion and celebration in every aspect of their work. From overcoming obstacles to fostering a culture of belonging, Christine's story is one of resilience, compassion, and unwavering dedication to social change.

Tune in to learn how Christine Ross is leading the charge for social change through inclusion and adaptive activities for individuals with disabilities. Get ready to be inspired and empowered to make a difference in your community.

For more information about The Social Impact Firm - Visit us at thesocialimpact.co

Or schedule a free consultation here. 

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 Film and media are powerful change agents. One of my favorite inspirational leaders to speak to is Scilla Andreen, the founder of iNDIEFLIX. She has used her talents and entrepreneurship to start meaningful conversations on topics that are hard to find a starting point but need to be discussed. Through film, conversations are rippling through families, and lives are being changed. 

Not only do we discuss her broad impact on education and mental health, but Scilla also transparently shares her story of resilience and the why behind what she does so brilliantly. I am honored to know this woman.

Take a listen, and give iNDIEFLIX a shoutout.

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Guest Bio:

Scilla Andreen is CEO & Co-Founder of iNDIEFLIX and an award-winning Producer, Director, Emmy nominated Costume Designer, Author & Founder of iNDIEFLIX Foundation. She has produced and or directed such films as, Angst, LIKE, The Upstanders, Screenagers, The Empowerment Project and Nevertheless, currently she is directing her latest project, RACE a documentary about the effects of race and racism on our mental health. She is a mother of 6 and resides with her husband Eric in Seattle WA. Scilla is on a mission to change the world with film. indieflix.com

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A love for people and kids has compelled Yolanda Robinson for decades of youth advocacy. Hope, faith, and resilience are driving forces behind how Yolanda journeyed through losing multiple family members to COVID-19 and continues to help young adults and teens in their walks through her story and leadership. We laugh about funny travel stories while working for Rachel's Challenge, bond over our shared advocacy experiences, and shed a few tears. 

We hope you find hope and purpose in Yolanda's story.
What's your story? 

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Guest Bio:

Yolanda Robinson is head of Public Relations for a public PreK - 12 school district in Georgia. A graduate of Tennessee State University in Nashville, Yolanda was voted Miss TSU while attending the university and it was in this role when she discovered her passion for youth. Being given the opportunity to speak in schools and mentor freshmen at the university set Yolanda on a path for youth work. That path led her to New York City where she became a member of World Changers Church and was soon asked to be a Youth Leader. Yolanda also spoke with a character education organization called Rachel's Challenge for 4 years, speaking in schools across North America, encouraging and inspiring kindness.

Years later Yolanda moved to Australia to become the Youth Pastor at World Changers Church Gold Coast where she served for two and a half years. She loves seeing the expression on a teen’s face when they come into the understanding of the love of Jesus. It’s priceless!

Yolanda loves spending time with family and friends, traveling and creating.

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Have you ever considered what kind of leader you are? Dr. Denise Berger helps corporations and grad students identify the why behind what we do and our core values. In this conversation, Dr. D shares practical tips and her story of leading with empathy & courage during 911.

Please take a listen and share your takeaways! 
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Guest Bio:
Dr. Denise Berger
Aliki Designs | alikidesigns.com
CSR Consulting :  Gazelle Advisors | itcsr.com

"By collaborating, lending expertise, and educating, I strive to develop ethical, intelligent and responsible leaders who achieve their goals while cultivating a thriving society for all. Much of my work focuses on strategic development of sophisticated social responsibility designs, that are implementable and marketable. In so doing, I find that this includes fine-tuning organizational culture, building leadership skills, optimizing team efficacy, and honing organizational strategic planning. I have held significant roles in managing multinational operations and have qualified expertise in social responsibility, risk management, international business, and organizational leadership.

I hold a Doctor of Education from Pepperdine University in Organizational Leadership and completed my dissertation on Corporate Social Responsibility.  In my dissertation, Doing it the Right Way, I identified the leading American Fortune 500 global corporations and analyzed why and how they do “itCSR” – a sophisticated level of CSR.  I received my MBA in Marketing and International Business from Fordham University and a BA in History from Colgate University.  

I presently teach Leadership & Service, as well as Program Evaluation, in the Social Entrepreneurship & Change Master’s Program at Pepperdine University, and I teach Leading Inclusive Organizations in Vanderbilt University’s Leadership and Learning in Organizations Doctoral Program. I am a consultant and founding partner of Gazelle Advisors, working alongside for-profit and non-profit leaders. We focus on strategic development including marketing, organizational culture effectiveness, building businesses with purpose, financial excellence, and equity, diversity & inclusion initiatives. Prior to this, I was a Managing Director at Aon Risk Services, a global insurance broker and consultant. In this role, I ran the East Coast operations of the Global Business Unit. I am a board member for Environmental Charter Schools, Open Temple and Lionsraw. I am a partner at Social Justice Partners LA wherein I have worked with several non-profit leaders, including SVP’s Fast Pitch participants. I have been a TedX coach and an Annenberg/CNN Hero Fast Pitch coach. Lastly, I am the founder and designer of Aliki Designs - Greek-inspired, handcrafted, everyday elegant jewelry, wherein I do everything from design, to manufacturing, to marketing and sales."

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Tech is a massive part of our world; we use it in every aspect of our lives. How do we use technology and not let it use us? Bree discusses digital citizenship, legislation, our kids and social media, and our digital lives with the founder of All Tech is Human. Listen to our conversation and let us know what you think.
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Things to note: 

All Tech Is Human is a non-profit committed to building the Responsible Tech ecosystem and uniting a diverse range of stakeholders to co-create a better tech future. The organization is holding a Responsible Tech Summit in NYC on May 20th, and has a range of activities including a mentorship program, Slack community of 3k members, open working groups, Responsible Tech Job Board, regular summits and mixers and much more. Its most recent resource is the HX Report: Aligning Our Tech Future With Our Human Experience. You can find all of the projects here. 

Guest Bio: 
David Ryan Polgar is a pioneering tech ethicist, Responsible Tech advocate, and expert on ways to improve social media and our information ecosystem. David is the founder of All Tech Is Human, an organization committed to building the Responsible Tech pipeline by making it more diverse, multidisciplinary, and aligned with the public interest. As the leader of All Tech Is Human, he has spearheaded the development of three recent reports: Responsible Tech Guide: How to Get Involved & Build a Better Tech Future, The Business Case for AI Ethics: Moving From Theory to Action, and Improving Social Media: The People, Organizations and Ideas for a Better Tech Future.

In March 2020, David became a member of TikTok’s Content Advisory Council, providing expertise around the delicate and difficult challenges facing social media platforms to expand expression while limiting harm.

An international speaker with rare insight into building a better tech future, David has been on stage at Harvard Business School, Princeton University, Notre Dame, The School of the New York Times, TechChill (Latvia), The Next Web (Netherlands), FutureNow (Slovakia), the Future Health Summit (Ireland), InfoShare conference (Poland, upcoming), NATO, the State Department, and many more. His commentary has appeared on CBS This Morning, TODAY show, BBC World News, Fast Company, The Guardian, SiriusXM, Associated Press, LA Times, USA Today, and many others.

David is a monthly expert contributor to Built In (writing about the Responsible Tech movement), and an advisory board member for the Technology and Adolescent Mental Wellness (TAM) program, and a participant in multiple working groups focused on improving tech and aligning it with our values.

The main throughline throughout David’s work is that we need a collaborative, multi-stakeholder, and multidisciplinary approach in order to build a tech future that is aligned with the public interest.

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Thank you for stopping by!

My name is Bree, and I am a social entrepreneur, advocate, and passionate about media for good. On each episode, I spend time with my friends who are making big things happen in the social change space. I hope you find inspiration from their stories and their tips.

Drop a comment and share so that I can say hello.

-Bree

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As a female social entrepreneur, I closely follow Fran Hauser's career and content. Fran has inspirational and practical advice for all of us at any stage in our journey. Her new book is not only full of tips, but you can also do the exercises in real-time! I love it. Fran has been a leader in gender equality and impact investing; she shows us that we can be ourselves AND go where we want to in our careers.

Listen to the conversation, follow @Fran_Hauser, get the book, and let me know what you think!
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Pick up on Amazon: 

Fran Hauser is an author, keynote speaker and startup investor. She is passionate about helping women build fulfilling careers and successful businesses. Fran has invested in over 25 female-founded companies across CPG, media & publishing, and wellness. Her writing, speaking and investing is informed by 15 years spent in media, where she rose through the ranks at Time Inc. to President of Digital. She is the best-selling author of The Myth of the Nice Girl: Achieving a Career You Love Without Becoming a Person You Hate which has been translated into six languages and was named “Best Business Book of the Year, 2018” by Audible. Fran’s second title, Embrace the Work, Love Your Career will be released in March 2022.

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Who doesn't love to talk about food, especially when it's good for the environment? I chatted with one of the founders of Airly (an intrapreneurship venture of Post) about creating a carbon neutral, sustainable, affordable, and yummy product! All, I think you'll learn a lot from this episode.

By the way, we also talk about marketing and how to simply communicate a sustainable message.

Please drop a note and let me know what you think!!
Pick up your Airly through this LINK
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Jennifer McKnight, Co-Founder of Airly Foods and Chief Marketing Officer, leads all marketing efforts for Airly.  Jen’s undergraduate degree is in mechanical engineering, and she’s always loved tackling complex problems.  She went on to get her MBA at Kellogg School of Management and enter a career in brand management.  She has been privileged to work on a range of iconic brands across many categories.  Bringing Airly to life has been a labor of love, and Jen is excited to be tackling one her most interesting and important challenges to date…getting the word out about the role we all can play in tackling climate change together.

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Would anyone like to see social change in the government and educational sectors? I thank God for Barbara, who has resiliently made an impact for decades in both. Listen as she shares her "WHY" education, sneak peek (incredibly moving story), and tips on how you can create change!
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Dr. Barbara Dickerson
Spanning the educational continuum, Barbara has taught elementary and high school students as well as college undergraduates and graduate students.
Barbara has held administrative roles in both the academic and student affairs areas in the academy. She has taught in diverse settings nationally and internationally. 

The academy work provided a springboard for Barbara to successfully garner elected offices on a K-12 and community college board. Her community work, as an executive of a non-profit and administrator of a local foundation, earned her several awards.

While serving on the community college board she also worked as a liaison for a congressional office . Barbara currently serves on two national boards, one for an academic institution and the other for a financial organization as well as works with a non-profit on volunteer engagement. She has been married for almost 45 years and has two adult children and three grandchildren.

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