Unsung Stewards

Content warning: Please note, this episode contains mention of suicide, suicidal ideation, and depression. Listener discretion is advised. If you'd like to avoid this content, skip minutes 12:44 -15:15.

In this episode of Unsung Stewards, we’re joined by Robin Wright-Pierce, Founder and CEO of Transforming Change, an organization that helps leaders in social justice spaces work with intention. Robin shares how her early experiences searching for belonging shaped her calling to help leaders and organizations improve the systems around them. Robin’s work is deeply rooted in her faith, and she considers building belonging and civic muscle to be a spiritual pursuit. Tune in to hear why belonging is the foundation of justice work, and how stewardship and faith are both about working towards collective liberation, rather than individual improvement.

In Season 6, Episode 2 of the Unsung Stewards podcast, Rippel President and CEO Becky Payne sits down with Alex Edgar, co-founder of Youth250, an initiative of Made By Us. Together, they discuss how Alex’s organization is using the 250th anniversary of the United States as a moment to reimagine civic life and center Gen Z as key shapers of our shared future.

Alex describes what this civic recentering will take: strengthening trust between communities and institutions, building connections across generations, and challenging narratives about who public life is for. Tune in to learn how initiatives like Youth250 are creating new pathways for civic participation and why engaging young people is essential to both a healthy democracy and a thriving future.

In this episode, host Becky Payne sits down with Michael Brown, Chief Architect at Civic Commons, to discuss how building belonging and civic muscle can transform communities from the ground up. Drawing on his deep experience of facilitating place-based collaborations in King County, WA, Michael describes how local organizations have invested in relationship building— and how that has resulted in lasting change in health, housing, and economic opportunity across the region. Tune in to learn what’s possible when trust, collaboration, and a shared sense of belonging are driving community transformation.

In this episode of Unsung Stewards, Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds, a second-generation publisher of the Black Voice News and founder of Voice Media Ventures, shares her journey rooted in journalism and stewardship. Growing up with a deep legacy of civic engagement and storytelling, Paulette shares how her family's service shaped her approach to community media. Learn about her work with the Inland Empire Community Foundation, the Inland Empire Journalism Innovation Hub + Fund, and her efforts to foster thriving communities through the vital conditions and shared stewardship. This conversation highlights the power of local media, the importance of belonging, and the role storytelling plays in building belonging and love for one's place.

Episode 3 of the Unsung Stewards podcast features Samantha Shaak, PhD, Executive Director of The Leonard Parker Pool Institute for Health and Vice President, Community Health, Lehigh Valley Health Network. Samantha illustrates how stewardship begins with connecting the dots within communities, understanding partners and people, and nurturing these relationships to build a healthier, more resilient region. In this thoughtful conversation, Samantha reminds us that even amid constant change, purpose and the people we work alongside are what truly keep us moving forward.

Discover the power of listening in this episode featuring Yvonne Pacheco, a lifelong resident of Laredo, Texas, and Community Connector with Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM).

As a Community Connector at MHM, Yvonne’s work involves building relationships in communities across South Texas to understand what residents need to thrive, and support their unique efforts to expand the vital conditions for health and well-being. She shares how growing up in a vibrant, tight-knit border community shaped her approach to stewardship, inspiring her to show up consistently, listen deeply, and create space for honest dialogue around the stories that define a place. Stream Episode 2 to learn how these practices are essential for building trust and cultivating meaningful relationships in South Texas and beyond.

Special thanks to our guest host, Dr. Ruth Thomas-Squance, Co-Executive Director of the Building Healthy Places Network, who is also deeply committed to advancing racial equity through cross-sector partnerships and fostering community-centered solutions.

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Arvind Singhal, a professor of communications and Director of the Social Justice Initiative at The University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Singhal has been a teacher, advocate, and organizer for many years. We consider him to be a kindred spirit within the Movement to Thrive Together and his work on the positive deviance approach–a way of developing community-driven solutions by honoring successful outliers and out of the box thinking–is a strong example of shared stewardship in practice.