The PM Podcast

Anne Connelly is an entrepreneur, angel investor, and a leading voice in blockchain and cryptocurrency for social impact. 

My guest today is Rey Saldaña—President and CEO of Communities In Schools®, the national organization that surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. A CIS alumnus, Rey’s journey from student to national leader reflects the mission of the organization he now leads. 

Born and raised on the South Side of San Antonio, Rey is the son of immigrants from Mexico and a graduate of Stanford University, where he also earned a master’s degree in education and received the President’s Award for the Advancement of the Common Good. Before taking the helm of Communities in Schools, he served as Regional Advocacy Director for the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation, as Chair of the San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Agency, and as the youngest person ever elected to the San Antonio City Council, serving four terms focused on education, public transportation, and opportunity for working families. 

In this episode, we begin in San Antonio, where Communities In Schools first shaped his path—then trace his journey to leading the organization at a defining moment: taking the helm as the pandemic shut down schools nationwide, stewarding a transformational gift from MacKenzie Scott, and advancing an ambitious vision to expand CIS to more Title I schools across America.

In this episode, we speak with Karen Isble—Vice President for College Advancement at Kalamazoo College.

Karen previously served as Associate Vice Chancellor and Campaign Director at the University of California, Irvine, where she helped lead the university’s $2 billion Brilliant Future campaign. Before that, she held senior leadership roles at the University of Michigan, contributing to the university’s $5 billion+ Victors for Michigan campaign.

She began her career in arts administration, with roles at the Chamber Music Society of Detroit, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Goodman Theatre—and today serves as chair of the board of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. A former president of Apra, Karen has been a national voice in advancement for many years.

We begin our conversation with a glimpse of where it all started—how her talking and singing as a child earned her the nickname “Radio” within the family, hinting early on at a life shaped by music and communication.

In this episode, we speak with Kate Sheeran—Joan and Martin Messinger Dean of the Eastman School of Music—about her journey from professional musician to leading one of the greatest music conservatories in the world.

Kate reflects on the experiences that shaped her path—from performing at the highest levels as a French horn player to leading major institutions like Kaufman Music Center to returning to the school where she got her start.

We begin our conversation with the moment that set it all in motion—how a choice between a jean jacket and a French horn pointed her toward a life in music.

In this episode, we speak with Julie Castle—Chief Executive Officer of Best Friends Animal Society and a leading voice behind the national no-kill movement—about her remarkable journey from aspiring lawyer to one of the most influential leaders in animal welfare. Julie shares how a single visit to a sanctuary in Utah changed the course of her life, setting her on a path that would take her from cleaning kennels and answering phones to building one of the largest and most effective animal welfare networks in the country—and helping to drive a nationwide movement to end the killing of dogs and cats in shelters.

In this episode, we speak with Glen Galaich—CEO of the Stupski Foundation, host of the Break Fake Rules podcast, and author of the new book CONTROL: Why Big Giving Falls Short—about his journey through the evolving landscape of modern philanthropy and his mission to challenge the structures that shape it. Glen shares how his work—from Human Rights Watch to the Global Philanthropy Forum to leading the Stupski Foundation—has been driven by a deep commitment to equity, justice, and dignity, particularly for communities historically excluded from power and resources.

In this episode, we speak with Kym Renner—career public servant and sister of actor Jeremy Renner—about her journey from a small-town childhood in Modesto to a life devoted to child welfare and social impact.

Ryan Wilson is the founder and CEO of Team Trust Productions, one of the few disability-led video production companies in the United States. Through documentaries and fundraising films created with nonprofit organizations across the country, Ryan and his team work to place people with disabilities at the center of their own stories—as creators, leaders, and narrators rather than subjects of sympathy. Ryan himself lives with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, and his work is helping reshape how disability is represented in nonprofit storytelling and media. In this episode, we trace Ryan’s journey from growing up with a disability that shaped his perspective on the world to building a company dedicated to telling stories with authenticity, dignity, and trust.

With more than twenty-five years in nonprofit technology, Tracy Kronzak has worked across the ecosystem: from server racks and on-premise systems to cloud architecture, enterprise partnerships, and AI strategy. They’ve served in leadership roles at Salesforce.org, Microsoft’s Tech for Social Impact initiative, Bonterra, and multiple nonprofit tech consultancies, while advising mission-driven organizations on data governance, equity, and long-term sustainability. In this episode, we trace Tracy’s journey from the strawberry fields of New Hampshire to witnessing a murder in Moscow and finally to becoming a recognized voice at the intersection of technology and justice. 

Trey Devey is President of Interlochen Center for the Arts, where he leads one of the world’s most influential institutions for the education and development of young artists. Since assuming the presidency in 2017, he has guided Interlochen through a period of transformation—completing a decades-long campus plan, launching new global and online programs, and navigating the profound disruptions of the pandemic while strengthening the institution’s mission and long-term sustainability. Prior to Interlochen, Trey served as President of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and Cincinnati May Festival, where he led a financial turnaround, restored artistic capacity, and helped raise more than $225 million to secure the organization’s future. In this episode, we trace Trey’s journey from trombone student to consultant, orchestra executive, and president of a global arts institution—exploring the decisions that shaped him, the realities of leading through uncertainty, and his vision for educating not just exceptional artists, but citizen artists prepared to shape the future.