Kroc Pod

What does it take to lead with hope and heal communities in an era of intense political polarization? The Honorable Bishop Michael M. Pham - the first American bishop appointed under Pope Leo XIV and the first Vietnamese American to head a U.S. Catholic diocese - joins Kroc Pod to explore the vital intersection of faith, public engagement, and peacebuilding. From accompanying migrants to federal court hearings to unveiling USD's 'Angels Unawares' sculpture, Bishop Pham shares how his own experience as a refugee shapes his pastoral vision across San Diego and Imperial counties. Tune in for a powerful conversation on Bishop Pham's enlightening journey, practical ways we can cultivate a spiritual life, and our own evolving roles in global peacemaking.

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In this episode, Dr. Commins, Academic Director of the MS in Humanitarian Action program at the Kroc School, sits down with Khaing Yadanar Phyoe, a Kroc School alumna who earned her Master of Arts in Peace and Justice. Originally from Myanmar, Khaing spent her final semester researching the intersection of conflict, peacebuilding, and digital media through her thesis, The Architecture of Silence: How Facebook Narratives Shape Resistance Tactics and Conflict Entrenchment in Post-Coup Myanmar. Drawing on both academic research and her personal connection to the region, she explores how social media narratives influence resistance movements, shape public understanding of conflict, and affect opportunities for peace. Their conversation examines the importance of peace literacy, the evolving role of digital platforms in times of political upheaval, and what Myanmar's experience can teach us about conflict, communication, and resilience in the modern world.

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One in five U.S. adults now get their news from social media creators — and that number is even higher for people under 30. So what happens when those creators start doing journalism? Maya Srikrishnan of the News Creator Corps and Becky Bullard of Democrasexy join Kroc Pod to talk accountability, authenticity, and why making democracy feel good might be the most radical civic act of our time. Together, they make the case that transparency beats neutrality, community beats institutions, and how civic engagement hits different when it feels good.

Find out more about this episode here:

• Democrasexy https://www.democrasexy.com/
• News Creator Corp https://newscreatorcorps.org/
• Trusted Creator Fellowship https://newscreatorcorps.org/programs/trusted-creator/

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Investigative journalism doesn't just hold power accountable — it shapes the communities we live in. In this episode of Kroc Pod, we sit down with Lorie Hearn, one of San Diego's most consequential journalists and the founder of inewsource, a nonprofit newsroom that has redefined what local investigative reporting can look like. Hearn traces her path from an early obsession with storytelling to decades on the frontlines of accountability journalism — then we dig into what it takes to earn public trust in an era of media skepticism, why community-powered journalism may be the most vital model for democracy, and how watchdog reporting is evolving in the age of AI.

Check out these links for more info:

inewsource: https://inewsource.org/

The Trust Project: https://thetrustproject.org/

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In this episode, we sit down with Sage Dobby to explore how innovative thinking can transform everyday products into powerful tools for environmental change. Sage is an entrepreneur, an MA candidate in Social Innovation, and a passionate advocate for sustainability. As the winner of USD’s 7th Annual Fowler Business Concept Challenge, she shares the story behind her venture creating biodegradable, plastic-free hair ties made from discarded pineapple leaves. She discusses the inspiration behind her idea, how the Kroc School has opened doors to new opportunities, and the role of the triple bottom line—people, planet, and profit—in guiding her work. With a background in STEM and a deep love for innovation, Sage is driven by a mission to make the world a more beautiful and sustainable place.

Website: ciaobellacollective.com

Instagram: @ciao_bella_collective

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In this episode, 2025 Kroc School Women Peacemakers Fellow Lilian Olivia Orero, a Gender and Technology Lawyer from Kenya, shares the experience that inspired her to found SafeOnline Women Kenya (SOW-Kenya). She discusses the growing crisis of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), including online harassment and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and how these forms of abuse disproportionately impact women and girls in digital spaces. She explains how SOW-Kenya works to bridge the digital gender gap through digital safety training, policy advocacy, and the development of the AI-powered #SafeHer app, an innovative tool that enables survivors to report abuse and access support. Orero’s passion for both advocacy and technology shines bright and her dedication to uplifting women shines brighter. 

• https://sow-kenya.org/

• https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lilian-olivia-531400128

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In this episode, 2025 Kroc School Women Peacemakers Fellow Dr. Estefanía Castañeda Pérez, a professor at USC and lifelong transborder commuter, shares her research and lived experiences navigating life between the U.S. and Mexico. She unpacks how violence at the border is not only physical, but also structural and psychological, shaped by state power, discretionary enforcement, and immigration policies that deeply impact transborder commuters’ sense of belonging and inclusion. Estefania explores transborder justice as a framework that centers the fragmented realities of living between two nations, reflects on the importance of giving back to her community, and emphasizes the need to amplify women’s voices in peacemaking, drawing from her experience as the first Transfronteriza selected for the Women Peacemakers Fellowship at the KROC IPJ. 

Estefania is looking for transborder commuters willing to participate in a confidential interview to discuss their border crossing experiences for a research study from the University of California (USC) Department of Political Science and International Relations. If you are interested fill out this survey to check eligibility: https://qualtricsxmqjfdk6cf6.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bqiLX2XfbSyzByK 

Estefanía’s instagram page:  https://www.instagram.com/transborderjustice/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estefan%C3%ADa-cp/

We kick of Season 7 of the Kroc Pod with a blockbuster -- in this episode, Kroc School Alumni Ryan Shipley shares his transformative journey from incarceration to becoming a leader in social justice through the Sisu Freedom Foundation. Shipley, the winner of the 2025 Necla Tschirgi Civic Engagement Award, discusses the challenges faced by system-impacted individuals during reentry, the importance of education in reducing recidivism, and the need for community support.

Ryan emphasizes the significance of lived experience in leadership roles and advocates for a shift in language to better represent those affected by the justice system. He also outlines future plans for the Sisu Foundation and offers advice for young people looking to create change in their communities.

Links:

• https://www.sisufreedom.org/
• https://www.sandiego.edu/torero-urban-scholars/
• https://thephoenix.org/app

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What happens when the system gets it wrong? In this episode, we dig into the haunting realities of wrongful convictions with Amanda Knox, one of the most well known exonerees of our time and Professor Justin Brooks, founder of the California Innocence Project. Together with other leading voices in law and interrogation techniques, we unpack the hidden mechanics behind false confessions, implicit bias, and the 4,000 documented wrongful convictions in the U.S. since 1989.

Check out these links for more information related to this episode:

• The Innocence Center -- https://theinnocencecenter.org/
• You Might Go to Prison Even Though Your Innocent by Justin Brooks -- https://www.youmightgotoprison.com/

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What happens when Earth itself starts to wake up? In this episode, Kroc School Prof. Topher McDougal joins us to talk about his new book Gaia Wakes, where he explores the idea of Earth’s emergent consciousness and the possibility of a global AI-powered governance system. From the collision of economics and ecology to the Butlerian Jihad of the Dune series, McDougal pushes us to rethink humanity’s role in an AI-dominated future.

In this wide-ranging episode, we dive into Luddites, the idea of a grand bargain between humans and AI, and what it really means to have — or be — a soul. In this episode we discuss:

• The four radical evolutionary upgrades (so far…)
• Humans as natural phenomena
• Why our future may demand a new relationship with technology
• The ethical risks of being domesticated by our own tools

Check out these links for more information after you listen:

Gaia Wakes The Book: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/gaia-wakes/9781788218283/

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