About the Episode

There are so many ways to engage with the major issues of this world. There's looking away and tuning out - and then there's tuning *WAY* in. For folks working, creating, and side-hustling in social impact, life is all about the latter. While it can be heavy on the mind, heart, and soul to take on this work, it's also a way to guarantee that a good chunk of one's waking hours are devoted to fighting humanity's good fights and living one's values. But then - what does that really take?

How are folks managing the competing needs of personal life, professional work, and the never-ending causes demanding our attention? In this live episode of the Issue Space podcast, we talk to three social impact advocates who approach their changemaking at work, their personal lives, or somewhere in between about where impact fits into our lives today.

Host:

Cat Addo

https://www.cataddo.com/

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

Guests:

Michele Lampach https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-lampach/

Matthew Chavez https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-chavez-40a84a82/

Bryant Silva https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryant-silva/

© Issue Space Media Inc. 2025

This episode of the Issue Space podcast was produced by July Third and published by Multitude https://multitude.productions>

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Between cuts to service agencies, slashed cause funding, and a volatile cultural and political climate, 2025 is the year of curveballs for us all. But social impact pros don't just desire to be resilient in the face of change - their jobs depend on it. And with so much learned about navigating uncertainty through various issues and crises, surely there's wisdom changemakers can take with us into the chapters ahead...right? With voices from the community service, mental health, and innovation intersections of impact, this live taping of the Issue Space podcast explores how social impact pros can weather this era with maintained professional impact and minimal personal harm.

Host:

Cat Addo

https://www.cataddo.com/

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

Guests:

Kym Watson https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-hardy-watson-2548733/

Nagela Dales https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndales/

Omar Hakim https://www.linkedin.com/in/omarshakim/

© Issue Space Media Inc. 2025

The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After the 2024 presidential election results, social impact pros knew the backdrop of their work might look very different this year - and to say that's been the case is an understatement. With stark shifts in attitudes toward civil rights, social services, and climate action on display in | America's highest office, it feels like many of the missions that power the impact sector risk succumbing to this fierce political storm. So what jobs exist right now for people looking to use their careers for positive social impact? And what does it mean for the scores of social impact pros currently looking for work? We welcome social impact career placement specialist and professional development coach Robert Jay Ross back to the Space for a candid, sometimes comical, conversation about what the social impact work landscape looks like in this volatile chapter of changemaking.

Host:

Cat Addo

https://www.cataddo.com/

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

Guest:

Robert Jay Ross https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertjayross/

© Issue Space Media Inc. 2025

The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude at https://multitude.productions

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Between the constant crises, sky-high stakes, emotional subject matter, and collaborative complexity, burnout is a constant threat among professionals working in social change. In this episode of the Issue Space podcast, we'll hear from two social impact pros who have been pushed to their limit in this work. We'll explore what drove them to the breaking point, how they cared for themselves during and after burnout, what they learned from the experience, and what ultimately brings them back to a professional life pursuing positive change.

About

Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a  podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. For more and to join our community, visit: www.issuespacemedia.com 

Host

Cat Addo 

https://www.cataddo.com/ 

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

Guests 

Brittany K. Barnett https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanykbarnett/details/experience/ 

Gabrielle Wyatt https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-wyatt-50612a8/ 

Discussed references

“How I’m Saving Myself From Burnout While Fighting For Change” https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/burnout-activism-health 

“Burn-out an 'occupational phenomenon': International Classification of Diseases”

© Issue Space Media Inc. 2024

The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude  

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A social impact professional’s work often involves advocating for our most personal rights. It’s only natural, then, that one might bring their own affinity to bear in these efforts. But in a time when identity politics are framed as distracting, divisive, or just else done-to-death, how valuable is it for social changemakers to approach the work they do through the lenses of their own identities? And what challenges do they face as a result of the choice to lean in or out of approaching social change from the perspectives of their own communities? In this episode of the Issue Space podcast, we’ll hear three points of view on decisions to embrace or reject their personal identities as a path to impact, and explore what it really means to turn an intrinsic life experience into a job and a cause. 

About

Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a  podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. For more and to join our community, visit: www.issuespacemedia.com 

Host

Cat Addo 

https://www.cataddo.com/ 

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

Guests

Paola Mendoza 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paola_Mendoza 

Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg 

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

Alistair Stephenson 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-stephenson/ 

© Issue Space Media Inc. 2024

The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude at https://multitude.productions

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anyone who’s worked in social impact knows that, just as political climate and administration shape our personal lives, so too do they affect our work, from what gets funded, to how our advocacy is framed in the zeitgeist, to everything in between. Some professionals toggle between working in politics and social impact to advance the change they’re fighting for, while others sit firmly in careers on one side or the other. How does that choice change your day-to-day experience in changemaking, and your efficacy? In this episode of the Issue Space podcast, we explore where politics and impact work intersect, and what that means for the folks who take on one or both in their careers.

About

Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a  podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. For more and to join our community, visit: www.issuespacemedia.com 

Host

Cat Addo 

https://www.cataddo.com/ 

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

Guests

Natika Washington

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

Jessy Tolkan 

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

© Issue Space Media Inc. 2024

The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude at https://multitude.productions

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Every social impact pro has to find their own way. Will they focus on one issue, or work across many? Will they tie their efforts to a certain place or politician, or float across a range of movements and leaders? And, will they work to tackle change from the top-down (think: systems, media, politics) or from the bottom-up (in communities, working with the grassroots)? In this episode of the Issue Space podcast, we speak with three social impact professionals to explore how they found where they belong across the different tiers of changemaking.

About

Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a  podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. For more, visit: www.issuespacemedia.com 

Host

Cat Addo 

https://www.cataddo.com/ 

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

Guests

Rachel Sumekh 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsumekh/ 

Jason Rzepka 

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

Carolyn Gilbert 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-gilbert-3614b267/ 

© Issue Space Media Inc. 2024

The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude  

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a phrase and as a vision, ‘Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion’ has been on a rollercoaster, from sitting front and center in the zeitgeist, to getting defunded and deprioritized. In this era, people working in DEI find their work framed through the lenses of social justice and partisan fights, while folks working in social impact have seen their focus pulled toward what was once an HR-adjacent lane. How has this cultural and professional whirlwind changed the trajectory of people in social impact – and particularly, the trajectories of people of color who sit at the center of both storms? In this episode of the Issue Space podcast, we chat with an advocacy amplifier with an unapologetically inclusive lens about her journey through the social impact sector during its ‘DEI transformation.’

About

Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a  podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. For more, visit: www.issuespacemedia.com

Host

Cat Addo

https://www.cataddo.com/

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

Guest

Janna Pea

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

Discussed references

Five Facts to Know About Black Philanthropy

https://www.tides.org/five-facts-to-know-about-black-philanthropy/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20report%20by,totaling%20%2411%20billion%20each%20year.

3 steps to better connect with your fellow humans

https://www.ted.com/talks/amber_cabral_3_steps_to_better_connect_with_your_fellow_humans?subtitle=en

© Issue Space Media Inc. 2024

The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude at https://multitude.productions

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a professional in social impact, it’s our job to lean into the heavy. But while the subject matter of this sector is often grim, does the work itself have to be? In the face of hardship, lightness – from joy, to humor, to childlike imagination – can be used to cultivate everything from social resistance to personal relief. In a time when society has never seemed to need levity more, could lightness be a secret weapon of the impact sector?  In this episode of the Issue Space podcast, we speak with two professional social change dreamers about wielding joy and imagination as tools of progress.

About

Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a  podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. For more, visit: www.issuespacemedia.com

Host

Cat Addo

https://www.cataddo.com/

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

Guests

Jess Weiner https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessweiner/

April Callen https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilcallen/

Discussed references:

Comedy Can Help Change the World, Rutgers Researcher Says

https://comminfo.rutgers.edu/news/comedy-can-help-change-world-rutgers-researcher-says

The Black radical imagination: a space of hope and possible futures

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10557459/

New Surgeon General Advisory Raises Alarm about the Devastating Impact of the Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation in the United States

https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/03/new-surgeon-general-advisory-raises-alarm-about-devastating-impact-epidemic-loneliness-isolation-united-states.html

© Issue Space Media Inc. 2024

The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude at https://multitude.productions

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Not every organization that’s committed to positive impact says so on the front door. Brands and businesses, with their particular ways of working, engaging consumers, and focusing on the bottom line, are a unique and undeniable part of culture and the social fabric. So what’s it like to pursue positive change from this side of the sector…and is there more in common with other settings of social impact work than we think? In this episode of the Issue Space podcast, we’ll talk with two experienced professionals about what it’s like to try to leverage what businesses do best for the sake of positive change.

About

Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a  podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. For more, visit: www.issuespacemedia.com

Host

Cat Addo

https://www.cataddo.com/

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

Guests

Erika Soto-Lam https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikasotolamb/

Ken Smith https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethsmith1/

Discussed references:

15 Eye-Opening Corporate Social Responsibility Statistics

https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/corporate-social-responsibility-statistics#:~:text=A%20majority%20of%20American%20consumers,%2C%20environmental%2C%20and%20political%20issues

The Rise of Purpose-Driven Brands: Why Consumers Care About Social Impact

https://www.theimpactjob.com/blog/the-rise-of-purpose-driven-brands-why-consumers-care-about-social-impact

Best Brands For Social Impact

https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-brands-social-impact/ 

‘Go Woke, Go Broke’ Review: The Worst Investments

https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/go-woke-go-broke-review-the-worst-investments-634bdc39

© Issue Space Media Inc. 2024

The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude at https://multitude.productions

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.