This month's guest, Erin McGuire, is a former academic and global research leader whose career has centered on equity in agricultural innovation systems. In 2025, when shifts in U.S. government priorities abruptly cut her federal research funding, Erin faced a pivotal moment. Rather than retreat, she chose to build. What had begun as quiet conversations about creating space for women to rest and reconnect became Root & Rise—a community-backed retreat and investment model grounded in collective ownership and shared joy. In this episode, we talk about the path that led her to this moment, mere months away from the first ever first Root & Rise summer camp in the French Countryside.

Show Notes: 

Connect with Erin and the Root & Rise community...

• on their website (https://rootandrise.com/) 
• or Instagram (@__rootandrise__/). 

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Connect with me online:

• On Instagram @writing_connections_podcast or @laura_isa_walker
• On my website: lauraswalker.com
• Through my newsletter

Additional Resources:

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