The Story Exchange

Here's one good use for plastic: Medical devices. At UMass-Lowell, plastics engineer Erin Keaney decided to re-imagine the artificial limb after learning that much of the world's amputees couldn't afford high-cost prosthetics. In this inspiring podcast, listen to how 29-year-old Keaney has developed a patented prosthetic that is changing amputees' lives in India, Rwanda and the Philippines. She and classmate Jonathan de Alderete have raised $1 million for Nonspec.

"In every kitchen in the country," says Paty Funegra, "you are going to find Latinos." But too few programs help newly arrived immigrants learn food or language skills. Listen to how Paty, who was born in Lima, Peru, came to the United States and decided to start a program, La Cocina VA, to help her fellow immigrants land jobs in the restaurant industry. We spoke with Paty not long after the El Paso shootings targeted Hispanics. This inspiring podcast story works like a salve against the disheartening crush of stories about immigrants, and showcases their resilience and entrepreneurial spirit.

One night, Dr. Laura Stachel was doing a Ceasarean section when she felt a searing pain go down her back. Diagnosed with degenerating discs, Stachel was forced to give up her work as an OB-GYN and decided instead to study public health. On a research trip to Nigeria, she witnessed shocking conditions at a maternity ward, largely because of the lack of reliable electricity. In response, she invented a "solar suitcase" which has lit millions of births all over the world. Listen to her inspiring story.

Dianne Berkun Menaker was once a music teacher at a prestigious school in Brooklyn when she noticed something: children's choruses were almost entirely white. That didn't sit right with her. She set about creating a chorus that better represented the community -- and in the process, created a Grammy-winning choir that sings alongside musical greats like David Byrne and Barbra Streisand while also helping kids voice the issues that matter to them most. Listen to how Brooklyn Youth Chorus got its start.

If you are worried about toxic chemicals in food, then this is the podcast for you. We head to Davis, California, to speak with Pam Marrone, the founder of natural pest control company Marrone Bio Innovations. She helps farmers use alternatives to harsh chemicals -- it's a rapidly growing sector called "biologicals." Pam is an entomologist by training and her early love for all things nature started in her mom's Connecticut garden. Now she runs a publicly traded company that makes millions of dollars -- and is helping farmers raise crops in an organic, sustainable way.

Our thanks to the Newswomen's Club of New York for honoring us with a Front Page award for this podcast on Norine Hill of Mother Nation.

Native women face disproportionately high rates of sexual violence, domestic abuse — even murder. The Justice Department estimates that 1 in 3 Native women will be raped. Part of the problem is that tribes are restricted in their ability to prosecute, so abusers and predators are attracted to these unprotected women. In Seattle, Norine Hill, who is a member of the Oneida Nation of the Thames, has founded Mother Nation to help women out of abusive situations and bring them culturally appropriate services so they can rediscover their strength. In this incredibly powerful podcast, we explore some of the historical injustices inflicted on Native Americans, while also sharing Hill's dramatic personal tale that led her to found Mother Nation.

Once upon a time, Sherri Franklin was a successful (but uninspired) hairstylist in San Francisco To find purpose in life, she began volunteering at the SPCA...and an old dog named Heidi captured her heart. Today, Franklin runs Muttville, a $4 million social enterprise that specializes in rescuing senior dogs. Research shows that old dogs over 7 are often considered "unadoptable" and put down even if they are in good health with friendly personalities. Franklin is committed to changing that statistic. In this inspiring podcast, learn how she basically changed everything in her life to make an impact in this world,

There is so much trauma in the world today, and children in particular are grappling with stress and anxiety produced by everything from school shootings and natural disasters, to domestic violence and terrorist attacks. Steffanie Lorig came up with a suprisingly simple way to help kids cope: An activity book created by artists that's filled with coloring books, games, jokes and puzzles. For over two decades, her organization Art With Heart has used activity books and art workshops to help kids heal, including children impacted by 9/11 and the Sandy Hook school shooting. In this podcast, Steffanie talks about how she founded Art With Heart and how she passed the torch to a new successor, Heidi Durham.

We hear plenty of talk about "build the wall." We hear much less about why caravans of migrants are leaving Central America to come to the United States. In this podcast, we talk to Kate Curran of School the World, a Boston-based social entrepreneur who is going to the heart of the crisis and trying to make life better for families in Guatemala and Honduras. Her organization builds schoolhouses in Central American villages where illiteracy rates are high and poverty is rampant. If you want to be inspired about how one person can make a difference, give this podcast a listen.

We talk to Kristy Allen, a beekeeper who turned her love and concern for honeybees into the thriving Minneapolis business The Beez Kneez. She maintains hives, sells honey, and teaches intensive beekeeping classes to the tune of $200,000 a year, all while maintaining environmentally sustainable practices. Allen is an advocate for honeybees, whose numbers have dwindled in recent years due to mites, pesticides and the overuse of monoculture farming. Learn more in this buzzy podcast.