Sincerely, Hueman: Stories of Kindness and Doing Good

Khloe Thompson met a homeless woman on her way to school when she was just 8 years old. After learning about her life, Khloe felt compelled to do something to help her. She sewed together a care bag, filled it with toiletries, and gifted it to her. That simple act of kindness grew into Khloe Kares, a nonprofit organization that serves the homeless and empowers kids to be a force for good in their communities. In this episode, Khloe shares the challenges she experiences as a young changemaker and gives advice to people who also wish to make a difference in their communities.

Abigail Dillen is the President of Earthjustice. For half a century, EarthJustice has provided top-tier legal representation in cases aimed at protecting our environment and people’s health. In this episode, Abbie takes us back to the beginning of her career, when she began to recognize the reality of climate change. Abbie also talks about the ways our laws impact our environment and tells us why she believes the youth hold the key to achieving climate justice.

Single-use plastics are one of the major pollutants of our time. Growing up in Bali, Melati and Isabel Wijsen noticed that their environment was becoming increasingly saturated with plastic bags. At 12 and 10 years of age, they founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags, with a vision of ridding the world of plastic bags. In 2019, after six years of advocacy, they were able to reach their goal in Bali.

Now 21 years old, Melati shares lessons she learned in her decade-long journey as a climate activist. She also tells us how campaigning with Bye Bye Plastic Bags led her to launch Youthtopia, a platform for young changemakers. In the episode, she also speaks of the critical role the youth play in creating a better future.

Inspired by Greta Thunberg, Anuna de Wever mobilized thousands of people in her home country of Belgium to protest her government’s inaction on climate change. Then 17-years old, Anuna transformed into a leader and spearheaded the Fridays for Future movement in Belgium. In this episode, Anuna speaks to the importance of Western countries taking responsibility in the fight for our climate. She also tells us about her experience visiting indigenous communities in the Amazon and attending COP, The United Nations Climate Summit.

At least half of Earth's oxygen comes from the ocean. That is why protecting the health of the ocean is imperative to address climate change. Daniela, a then 19-year-old immigrant, founded Sustainable Ocean Alliance or SOA from her Georgetown University dorm room. Since then, SOA has become the largest network of young ocean leaders in the world with more than 5,000 members in over 165 countries.

In this episode, Daniela shares the challenges that she experienced as an entrepreneur and encourages others to take responsibility for the climate crisis.​​

Leah Namugerwa is a 17-year-old activist from Kampala, Uganda. In this episode, Leah tells us about her inspiration behind Fridays For Future Uganda and about the pushback she received as a climate activist. She also speaks about the Birthday Trees Project, where she encourages people to plant a tree to celebrate their birthday, as well as her petition to ban single-use plastics in Uganda.

If you want to connect with Leah Namugerwa, you can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @NamugerwaLeah.

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Learn more about the programs at Riley's Way Foundation and how you can join the Call for Kindness.

Mitzi Jonelle Tan is a climate activist from the Philippines. She is the international spokesperson of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP), part of the global Fridays For Future movement.

In this episode, Mitzi talks about her experience meeting indigenous leaders who are fighting to protect their land and how that inspired her to take action. She also speaks of the United Nations Summit COP26 and the importance of including people of the global south in the climate justice conversation.

Without having any experience in filmmaking, Kasha Sequoia Slavner took half a year off school when she was 16 to travel the world and make the multi-award-winning documentary The Sunrise Storyteller. In this episode, Kasha talks about how she found her path as an activist, the overlooked contributors to the climate crisis including the military industry, and why we have to center indigenous voices in climate leadership.

The stigma around periods contributes to what is now known as period poverty. Period poverty is a global issue affecting millions of women and girls who do not have access to menstrual hygiene resources. In India, nearly a quarter of teens drop out of school when they get their periods due to the  lack of handwashing or toilet facilities.

Breaking the stigma around periods is a key first step in alleviating period poverty. Because if we can’t begin to talk about this issue, how are we gonna solve it?
In this episode, we hear the story of Megha Desai, president of the Desai Foundation, an organization that focuses on elevating the health and livelihood of children and women in India and in the U.S. On the show, we talk about how Megha transitioned from the corporate world to working on a cause that she's now dedicated her life to — providing job opportunities for women and helping end period poverty.

When we talk about education, we don’t really highlight how culture impacts it. Did you know that Hispanics have the highest high school and university dropout rate of any other population? Some dropout to work instead and support their families. But there are also cultural factors at play. For Hispanic women, in particular, the macho culture might reinforce the idea that they are supposed to become housewives and mothers instead of focusing on school. Hispanic youth also have the highest teen pregnancy rate of any other population.

Our guest today is Michelle Navarro, a history professor at Dallas College. Michelle has Mexican-American roots but grew up disconnected from her heritage. Throughout the years, she became interested in making sense of her family history and Hispanic identity. In an effort to help other students do the same, she formed the student club Achieving Latino Academic Success, or ALAS. At ALAS, Michelle inspires members of the club, especially women, to dream beyond their cultural restraints. 

Follow ALAS on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter @ALASStudentClub

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Learn more about the programs at Riley's Way Foundation and how you can join the Call for Kindness.

According to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center, 64 percent of Americans look up to people who have served in the military, regardless of political support for conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, as the new generation of members of the military is much smaller than it used to be, many Americans don’t know a veteran anymore. But, as you may know, serving your country comes in many forms — just like doctors, teachers, first responders, mothers and community leaders who have put the lives of others before their own.

Mike Burns is a former Army officer with 13 years of service and is the founder and CEO of Service First, a jewelry brand that celebrates service. Mike is also the host of the podcast “Redefining the Influencer,” one of the shows from Hueman Group Media. Through “Redefining the Influencer,” Mike is committed to shine a light on stories of those who have navigated a life of sacrifice, found joy in service, and made a commitment to the greater good. 

According to the nonprofit organization Uganda 4 Her, around half of the girls in Uganda between the ages of 15 to 24 are illiterate. Meanwhile, 10% to 25% is how much a girl’s income will increase with every extra year of education. It’s also reported that an educated woman in Uganda will invest 90% of her income into her family.

It’s truly admirable when someone sees a huge problem, and takes steps to come up with a solution, even if they have to go on a long winding road to get there. That is the amazing story of our guest, friend, and partner, Liz Bohannon. Liz is the founder of the socially conscious fashion company, Sseko Designs, and the fair-trade coffee brand, Together Coffee. She is also the author of "Beginner’s Pluck" and the host of another podcast on the HGM network, "Plucking Up".

In 2009, Sseko began as a way to generate income for high potential, talented young women in Uganda to continue on to university. A decade later, the company welcomed its biggest class of college-bound women in Uganda to date and continues to grow its impact with artisans around the world.

Did you know that the demand for good news has increased during the pandemic? As reported by the New York Times in April this year, social media accounts and news sites that deliver positive storytelling like Upworthy and the Good News Movement have seen their audience sizes grow. On the first episode of our brand new season, we’re excited to feature Branden Harvey — a storyteller focused on the good in the world. Branden is the host of the podcast Sounds Good, the creator of the Goodnewspaper, a printed newspaper full of good news, and built an online community of more than 250,000 world changers.

In this episode, Branden talks about how his media company Good Good Good is inspired by a quote from Mister Rogers, “look for the helpers.” He also shares how he had the not so brilliant idea of launching a print newspaper in the digital age — and how it was embraced by thousands of good news seekers.

Special Announcement: Listen to our new podcast, Redefining the Influencer.

A podcast that shares powerful stories of heroes that don’t typically show up on your feed. Redefining the Influencer introduces you to exceptional people who have followed a call of service—from military veterans, doctors, and teachers to nonprofit leaders, first responders, and mothers.

Join Mike Burns, a former Army officer with 13 years of service, as he centers the voices of rarely celebrated individuals. In candid and uplifting conversations, listeners will hear stories of those who have navigated a life of sacrifice, found joy in service, and made a commitment to the greater good.

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Special Announcement: Listen to our new podcast, Made Here.

Entrepreneurship is a journey — and not everyone gets a fair shot. Made Here is a podcast about what it means to be an underserved entrepreneur in America and what it takes to turn a small business idea into reality. Join GoDaddy’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Stacy Cline as she chats with resilient and driven local entrepreneurs. Listen to how they defied expectations and challenged norms, in order to create businesses that enabled them to realize their potential, support their families and give back to their communities.

Tanya Ramos wasn’t born into privilege and initially struggled in school. It wasn’t until Tanya’s second-grade teacher recognized her promise when she started believing in her own potential. Through the power of education, Tanya was able to change the course of her life and ultimately the lives of so many others. She pursued a mission to improve the lives of students in communities that need it most, and has not looked back ever since.   Today, she continues to help kids access quality education as the CEO of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases educational opportunities in underprivileged communities in Ghana, Guatemala, Laos and Nicaragua.  In this episode, we hear about Tanya’s somewhat tumultuous childhood, how she leads an organization impacting the lives of over 100,000 students daily, and what Pencils of Promise is doing now to respond and rebuild beyond COVID-19.  

Doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and hospital staff have emerged as soldiers and heroes in our war against COVID-19. For those of us sheltering in place, we might feel a little lost or even powerless in this situation. But for people like Ben Goldberg, a native New Yorker, supporting frontliners the best way he knows how was a no-brainer. Ben is the founder and president of the New York Food Trucks Association (NYFTA), and in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the NYFTA and its members urgently rolled out "Frontline Food Trucks", a program that provides thousands of healthcare workers free servings of coffee and other nutritional snacks and meals every day via their food trucks. NYFTA partnered with brands like Sweetgreen, Chobani and La Colombe whose donated products help feed tens of thousands of frontline medical staff who are not only risking their lives, but who have also been deprived of food options due to hospital cafeterias and surrounding food establishments shutting down.

In this episode, you'll also hear from Julia Perez, Digital Marketing Director at CORE Foods. CORE Foods makes organic, fresh, healthy on-the-go snacks and as a B Corporation, it's also committed to reinvesting profits back into their food, community, and movement. To support the Frontline Food Trucks program, the company donated over 10,000 of their Organic Overnight Oat Bars + Probiotics.

Nicki Dingraudo had the most amazing teacher in first grade.She could tell every detail of her classroom, and she’s the reason Nicki fell in love with education. She knew teachers played a role in teaching students how to be kind and how to be human. After moving to Arizona from the suburbs of Chicago, she was able to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher. But it wasn’t what she had imagined. Nicki had a really rough time and she would find herself crying on the way to work.

In finding other teachers online, Nicki felt a sense of belonging and deep connection. She knew other teachers shared the same experiences and could empathize with her, especially on days when she felt like she wasn’t doing her best as a teacher.

After a couple years in the classroom, she began to look for some extra inspiration and started her little corner of the teacher Instagram world, which she called  “The Sprinkle Topped Teacher”. Through her posts and resources she provides on her site, Nicki created a support system for teachers who are on the frontlines of shaping the lives of future generations. In this episode, Nicki talks about why she built a strong community of teachers, how we can teach our kids kindness in the classroom, and ways we can practice gratitude in our own lives.

ANNOUNCEMENT! A new podcast from Hueman Group Media.

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Could Be Better, tbh (with Stacy London)

This story is about kindness through the lens of someone hurting and the person helping them find hope in spite of it.

In February 2006, Jamie’s life took a 180 when he met Renee Yohe, a young woman who was struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury, and suicidal thoughts. Jamie and Renee spent time together before Renee entered a treatment center. Jamie wrote about his encounter with Renee and, while not having any experience as a writer or blogger, composed a riveting blog post titled “To Write Love on Her Arms.” In 2007, the heartwrenching and compelling story of Renee and Jamie's 5-day encounter turned into a movement and officially became a nonprofit organization.

For nearly 14 years, Jamie and his team have responded to over 210,000 messages from all around the world. They’ve also created a FIND HELP Tool on their website. The tool helps people locate free or reduced cost counseling and other mental health resources in their community. The organization’s impact on those who’ve been struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide has been profound. In 2015, Jamie published his book "If You Feel Too Much: Thoughts on Things Found and Lost and Hoped For" and today continues to work at the helm of To Write Love on Her Arms.

With an MBA from UCLA, Matthew Emerzian was treading a successful path in the music business. He was the SVP of a major marketing music company and worked with the biggest artists in the world. In spite of his fame and fortune, Matthew felt empty and eventually suffered from chronic anxiety disorder and depression. His experience led him to founding Every Monday Matters, a not-for-profit organization aimed at helping individuals and organizations understand how much and why they matter. Every Monday Matters programs go beyond the individual level. The organization offers no-cost K-12 Curriculum for engaging today’s youth in topics and activities that build self- and social-responsibility, awareness, and engagement.

Now, Matt is releasing his personal journey in his latest book titled, "You Matter. Learning to Love Who You Really Are". The book is set for release on February 12, 2020.

As we wrap up 2019 and say hello to a new decade, we wanted to do something on the podcast that's a bit more personal. In this episode, you'll hear from us, your hosts, on our favorite kindness moments of the year. We'll also share kindness entries that our listeners sent. Please have a listen as they will inspire you to do your own acts of kindness. This is our season finale and we'll be back for Season 3 on January 7th!

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When Asha Curran first heard of the idea for GivingTuesday from her colleague Henry Timms, she did not foresee how one day of giving could turn into a global movement. She was then working at 92nd Street Y, a nonprofit community and cultural center located in Manhattan, New York.

Throughout her career, Asha helped push what’s possible: How do you innovate for nonprofits? What does community mean in an age where there are no boundaries? In this episode, we’re sharing the story of social good innovator and CEO of GivingTuesday, Asha Curran.

Before taking GivingTuesday into the next stage of evolution, Asha helped propel successful programs at 92nd Street Y such as the Social Good Summit, an annual event for tech and global development leaders, in partnership with the UN Foundation and Mashable. But one particular experiment led Asha to where she is today: #GivingTuesday, a day when people would give back to causes and issues that matter to them. Last year, over 400 million dollars were donated online in just 24 hours of Giving Tuesday. The movement is now celebrated in over 60 countries. GivingTuesday has radically changed how people think about generosity, and showed the power of communities everywhere to create change.

Every year, more than 4 million people die from direct and indirect exposure to air pollution. Think about that for a second. The very thing that keeps us alive is also the one that’s killing us. Even with problems that seem unsolveable, there are incredible people working day and night to find solutions — like Anirudh Sharma, cofounder and president of Graviky Labs and the chronic inventor behind AIR-INK. Before AIR-INK, Anirudh built Lechal, a vibrating shoe that aimed to help the visually-impaired navigate their worlds better. With Anirudh’s passion to use technology as a tool for good, AIR-INK, the first ink made entirely out of air pollution, was created.

At Graviky Labs where AIR-INK is processed, air pollution is recycled and turned into hydrated, industrial-grade pigments and inks. Graviky Labs’ technology can be used to capture carbon pollution from the exhaust of generators and small chimney stacks. With AIR-INK, pollutants which could have been in the lungs of millions of people, or mixed into our water and land streams are now beautifully resting on murals and paintings.

In the 2019 MIT Solve Challenge, AIR-INK was selected as one of 32 Solver teams out of 1400 applicants from over 100 countries. MIT Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which advances lasting solutions from tech entrepreneurs to address the world's most pressing problems. 

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What if there’s a thing you absolutely enjoy that you think: ‘This would be infinitely better if I shared it with another person.’ What if that one thing were your sight — literally the fact that you can see and enjoy everything around you with clarity and without obstruction. It’s something you probably take for granted, but others could only dream of. 

In this episode, you’ll hear the story of Anirudh Koul, former Head of Artificial Intelligence and Research at AIRA (Artificial Intelligence Remote Assistance ). Anirudh is a prolific innovator who’s worked for tech behemoths like Yahoo and Microsoft. After six years at Microsoft, he joined Aira, a mobile app that connects the blind and low vision community to highly trained, remotely-located agents to enhance their everyday experiences. The service empowers users, who depend on others to perform daily tasks. Time Magazine named Aira one the Best Inventions of 2018. The startup was also selected as a Solver in the recently concluded 2019 Community-Driven Innovation Challenge at MIT Solve, an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

This year, Aira is committed to hiring 100 military spouses as agents who can work remotely from home, while impacting the lives of Aira users.