Podcasts about Social innovation

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Grace Mackleby of the University of Southern California about her recent paper that explores how vertically integrated Medicare Advantage plans and hospital systems set prices, finding that most affiliated and unaffiliated plans pay similar rates, with notable variation in certain markets. Order the August 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Jiebing Wen of The University of Texas at Austin about her recent paper exploring how hospice acquisitions by investor-owned firms were associated with lower care staffing intensity and fewer patient visit minutes, especially in patients' final days. Order the August 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Keith Ericson of Boston University about his recent paper exploring how inflation-adjusted spending benchmarks would provide a more accurate picture of state health care cost growth. Order the August 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

How can billions of years of biological evolution help us navigate today's complex cultural and social crises? In this episode, we sit down with Toby Herzlich, the founder of Biomimicry for Social Innovation and a path-builder in transformative leadership. While biomimicry is often celebrated for inspiring sleek architecture and sustainable materials, Toby invites us to look deeper: what can living systems teach us about building life-friendly human organizations, communities, and movements?In a moment marked by polarization and rapid systemic change, relying on rigid, top-down models simply isn't working. Toby shares how nature's core operating principles like decentralized networks, community ecology, mutualism, and regenerative feedback loops offer a blueprint for resilient social innovation.Explore The Nature of Trust Toolkit, and register for The Nature of Trust Co-Lab. Sponsored by Learn Biomimicry.Curious about how nature can solve our biggest design challenges? Start your education today. Use code LEARNINGFROMNATURE to save:20% off the Biomimicry Short Course Set5% off the Biomimicry Practitioner & Biomimicry Educator ProgramsExpand your mind with free resources from the Learn Biomimicry Blog: Discover the 50 Best Biomimicry Examples, explore Biophilic Design, or learn about Patterns in Nature.Grab some Learning from Nature merch including shirts and sweatshirts.Learning from Nature audio editing by Pine Peak Productions. 

Australia feels more fractured than ever. The alarming spike in antisemitism is hitting close to home, leaving many in our community feeling unsafe, isolated, and deeply divided. With the landmark Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion currently underway right here in Sydney, the need for genuine solutions has never been more urgent. Discussing the matter with Mark Levy while visiting Australia is Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League in the U.S. Greenblatt also previously served in the White House as Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and Director of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Betsy Cliff from the University of Chicago about her paper in the July 2026 issue of Health Affairs exploring trends in US healthcare spending by income. Order the July 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

“You should ask yourself first, what truly, like in your bones, do you actually value and what do you really wanna get done in the world?” –Jessica JackleyJessica Jackley's answer to this question has always been the same: To help people. But she never guessed she'd do it as an entrepreneur.Jessica once believed that business was nothing but greed and manipulation. But then something funny happened: Entrepreneurs kept proving that capital could be used for good. So she listened—to talks from Dr. Muhammad Yunus, to the early pioneers at the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford, and to her friends in East Africa with brilliant plans to better their communities with just a hundred dollars.That listening led Jessica to start Kiva, now one of the world's largest crowdfunding platforms for social good. Today, she's leading the world in social entrepreneurism: proving that when we listen, connect, and design solutions around real human stories, the paths to helping people are infinite.In our conversation, Jessica shares her unexpected path to social entrepreneurism, how Kiva scaled, and her approach to designing an impact-driven career without sacrificing time with family.Find links to resources mentioned and key takeaways in the show notes for this episode: https://www.futurenonprofit.com/jessica-jackley

What Can Public AI Really Be? Rumman Chowdhury on Red Teaming, Responsibility and Thinking About Thinking when it comes to AI Rumman Chowdhury brings together data science, policy, ethics and industry experience to ask how AI systems can become more accountable in practice. In this episode, we speak about participatory approaches to testing and improving AI, from large scale red teaming events to safety and responsibility frameworks grounded in real world harms and public involvement. We also ask what public AI can really mean today, and get a glimpse into her current book project on thinking about thinking. This episode will be cohosted by Dr. Katja Mayer. Katja is a scholar in Science and Technology Studies (STS), works at the University of Vienna in Austria and at the Center for Social Innovation and serves a programme chair for dighum 2026.Links:https://dighum.wien/https://www.rummanchowdhury.com/https://www.katjamayer.net/

Most innovation programmes start with reasonable assumptions. The challenge is that reality often proves them wrong.In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm and Jeppe Høier speak with Cynthia Hansen, Managing Director of The Innovation Foundation, empowered by the Adecco Group, about four lessons learned from building and scaling employment solutions for people often excluded from the labour market.Cynthia shares how her team moved from designing programmes around demographics to designing around trends, why technology became central rather than supportive and what it takes to build venture teams capable of creating scalable social impact inside a large organisation.The conversation also explores the evolution of the Foundation's Scan, Build, Scale methodology, the challenge of finding people who can operate across business and social impact and how Foundry is helping create the next generation of innovation talent.Highlights Why designing around demographics led to repeating patternsHow trend-based innovation changed the team's approachThe evolution of the Scan, Build, Scale frameworkWhy technology became essential to scaling impactThe challenge of finding the right venture buildersHow Foundry is creating a pipeline of innovation talentWhat corporate innovators can learn about designing for scaleWhy scale should be built into a solution from day oneTimestamps(00:00) Introduction(02:00) What The Innovation Foundation does and why Adecco created it(03:00) Learning 1: Why demographics were the wrong place to start(08:00) Moving from audiences to trends(10:00) How the team identifies emerging labour market shifts(14:00) Learning 2: The Scan, Build, Scale framework(18:00) The challenge of finding the right venture builders(20:00) Introducing Foundry(23:00) Learning 3: Why technology became central(26:00) Technology, scale and the digital divide(29:00) Measuring impact beyond reach and job placement(31:00) The flywheel behind scaling social innovation(35:00) Learning 4: Building the right teams(38:00) What entrepreneurs can learn about working with corporates(39:00) Closing thoughtsSubscribe to EUVC, the home of European tech, for more insights.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Adam Markovitz of the University of Michigan about his recent paper exploring the growing role of third-party firms in Medicare ACOs, highlighting how they have contributed to wider participation and more geographically dispersed networks while raising questions about how these structures relate to shared savings outcomes.Order the June 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Geoffrey Hoffman of the University of Michigan about his recent paper exploring the structure of Medicare's hospital wage index and discusses the growth of exceptions over time, exploring their implications for how the system functions and whether it meets its intended policy objectives. Order the June 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Yashaswini Singh of Brown University about her recent paper that explores how private equity acquisitions in primary care are associated with changes in utilization, spending, and workforce composition.Order the June 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · We Need Nutrition Security, Not Just Food Security Today host Douglas Haynes is joined by Kris Tazelaa of Second Harvest Food Bank, and Melissa Bublitz professor of human ecology at UW Madison. Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin distributes 26 million pounds of food to over 300 partners and programs, including local food pantries, mobile food pantries, youth programs, and many more.  The language around access to food centers on “food insecurity,” but the conversation often omits the need for healthy food. Bublitz highlights the importance of nutrition security, an effort to provide communities with not just food to survive, but the food necessary to thrive. One of the ways Second Harvest is addressing nutrition security is by partnering with local farmers to provide fresh, local and nutritious food. The majority of the 16 counties that Second Harvest serves are rural, so Second Harvest Food Bank buys excess food from farmers to make sure the local producers also have the support they need. The fresh food is often distributed the very next day. For a lot of families, there is a patchwork of sources necessary to get the food they need. Rather than going to the grocery store for everything, they rely on state programs, local food pantries, and FoodShare (SNAP) benefits. Although SNAP is a critical lifeline for many people, it is intended to be supplemental, and has not kept up with the rate of inflation. The program is not enough to provide everything, but Bublitz and Tazelaa said it is still the most efficient way to address food insecurity while also improving the local economy. For every SNAP dollar spent, $1.60 is created in the local community.   There are myriad sources of mental and physical stress on families without food security. There is still a stigma attached to swiping the green SNAP card at the grocery store and shopping at local food pantries. Many people in small communities travel 20-30 miles away to avoid being recognized by neighbors at their local pantries. There is the added stress of government paperwork and figuring out eligibility for food programs. Bublitz and Tazelaa reference feeling “hangry,” emphasizing the importance of being fed to increase your quality of life and reach your highest potential, and how nutritious food will make a world of difference. Kris Tazelaa is a Wisconsin native who has been with Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin for nearly 15 years, currently serving as the organization’s Media and Public Relations Manager. Melissa G. Bublitz, Ph.D. is the Liz Kramer Professor of Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on understanding and influencing consumer behavior to promote the well-being of individuals and families as well as in the communities where they live and work. Her research studies food and nutrition access, social entrepreneurship, sustainability,  and public policy to increase consumer well-being. Utilizing qualitative and participatory research methods, her research is characterized by a strong commitment to creating real-world impact and is often conducted in partnership with social impact organizations. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post We Need Nutrition Security, Not Just Food Security appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

I think it is part of getting older that you start to think of your past not as one singular life, but a series of lives that have culminated into wherever you are at the moment. The passage of time allows for that perspective, but I suppose a five year old is going to think in similar terms of where did the time go, it was just yesterday that I was four (which in fact, it was). We all go through episodes and identities and phases, which can involve different outfits and hats and accessories. It can be a fun ride. Perhaps in a sense reincarnation isn't about coming back from a previous life in a literal sense, but how we evolve in this one. In one of my past lives, I worked at United Way Community Services. For those not familiar, United Way serves as a conduit to disseminate funds to partner social service agencies. I was doing research in the Research and Data Services division. It was a good way to be introduced to the world of social services and non-profits, developing a deep appreciation for their work and the challenges associated with their work. The degree to which it is challenging is proportionate to how vital it is. In the land of profit-margins and mass consumption, social services are often misunderstood and ignored (except by those who need their work). My guest today on Experience by Design describes herself as a “pissed-off optimist.” You have to be both to do the work that she does at Greater Good Studios. Sara Cantor went to graduate school for human-centered design, then applying her skills and passion in retail spaces. Further work with major corporations left her wanting to do more and have a greater impact. This led her to co-found “a design firm dedicated to the social sector.” Rather than moving product, their goal is to build “a more equitable society” through work that is “more inclusive, innovative, and impactful.” We talk about her journey to the work that speaks her passion today. She recalls transitioning from engineering into design. Sara describes her work in projects like creating marketing materials for maternal and infant mortality prevention programs. She talks about the importance of involving those directly impacted by social services in the design and decision-making processes. She shares her experience working to develop initiatives aimed at increasing homeownership for families that were traditionally locked out. We also discuss designers as social justice catalysts, addressing social injustice, channeling anger productively, and motivating positive change.  And I have to say this is a very motivational conversation about what can be accomplished through good design. Sara Cantor on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/saracantor/ Greater Good Studio: https://greatergoodstudio.com/ Greater Good Studio on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greater-good-studio/

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Abe Sutton, Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, about the ACCESS model and broader efforts to test payment and delivery reforms aimed at improving affordability, expanding digital health, and generating real-world evidence in Medicare. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

Evan Dougoud started BeHeard Movement after listening to young people experiencing homelessness say they wanted people to understand what life looked like from their side. That listening turned into action.Today, BeHeard Movement brings mobile showers, laundry, haircuts and case management directly to neighbors in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. On this episode of the Live United Podcast, Evan talks about the start of BeHeard Movement, the Social Innovations grant that helped the work grow, and the new idea now taking shape in Tulsa. The world's first virtual volunteer vending machine will give people access to basic needs after hours. A person can walk up, request help, and connect with a volunteer by video. That volunteer could be in Tulsa or across the country. For Evan, the goal is simple. Help should be close enough for someone to reach it when they need it most.

Suhayla Bazbaz Kuri is a Mexican political scientist dedicated to human rights, social justice and participatory democracy. She founded Community Cohesion and Social Innovation in 2009 to strengthen community ties and promote inclusive, rights-based, community-led development across Mexico. Passionate about collective action, Suhayla combines research, advocacy, and capacity-building to amplify community voices.Suhayla leads regional initiatives such as #LetThemKnowThatWeKnow, addressing power and information asymmetries affecting Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples, women, youth, people with disabilities and persons in mobility in decisions about their territories and megaprojects. She also participates in Latin American collectives that advocate for authorities, businesses and financial institutions to meet their human rights obligations, and engages in demonstrations and dialogues on institutional violence against women. Suhayla was the Spring 2026 Social Innovator in Residence with the ERA Chair in Social Innovation and the DESIS Lab at NOVA SBE.Follow Suhayla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suhayla-bazbaz-kuri-63b94112/Learn more about Community Cohesion and Social Innovation:https://cohesioncomunitaria.org/Credits:Host: Anne-Laure FayardPost-production: Valter GouveiaMusic & Art Work: Guilhem TamisierRecorded at the Fidelidade Creative Studio, Nova SBE

Life has been evolving on our planet for the past 3.8 billion years.  The ecosystems that thrive now have had a lot of practice at getting things right - particularly the complex web of inter-relations that allows us all to flourish. And yet, we're on the edge of the sixth mass extinction largely because we humans have forgotten how to inter-relate and inter-be with the rest of the web of life. At an intellectual level, we know we're integral nodes in the web, but we still behave as if it were other, and out there and not - yet - as if it were a source of wisdom and wonder and wholehearted support: an ancient mentor that has tried and tested enough options to know what works.  So how can we bring the astonishing, creative insights of Biomimicry to the field of human inter-being? How can we shift our sense of self and other, our communities of place, purpose and passion, our businesses, our governance structures…everything that we are and do onto a different trajectory using the web of life as our template?  Biomimicry for Social Innovation asks exactly these questions and in this episode, we're talking to its founder, Toby Herzlich. Toby is a facilitator, trainer, executive coach, and organizational consultant. She is a Certified Biomimicry Specialist and Founder of Biomimicry for Social Innovation, which exists to translate ecosystem intelligence and Life's Principles into leadership and social change strategies.  As you'll hear, she's part of the team that developed The Nature of Trust, and its 8-principle framework for building and maintaining trust, which is so essential in any network of sovereign individuals whether they're bees, or penguins, elks or geese - or people. Living in northern New Mexico, Toby dedicated 20 years as a Senior Trainer with the Rockwood Leadership Institute and continues to support leaders and organizations through coaching and consulting inspired by nature.  Her clients include Executives at National Geographic Society, The Sierra Club, and The Cultural Conservancy. She is passionate about creating innovative approaches to collaboration, building, and guiding diverse networks including the Biomimicry Professional Certification two-year training cohorts, the Volgeneau Climate Initiative, North Carolina's statewide progressive voter network, and the Indigenous Mycelium Gathering of 2025 - there's a link in the show notes and you will definitely want to explore that. Toby is the founding co-facilitator of the Living Systems Leadership Retreats for Women and has supported the capacity-building of women leaders in war-torn countries of the Balkans and the Middle East. There are so many richly inspiring pathways that Toby has opened as a result of bringing a social change and leadership development branch into Biomimicry - collaborating deeply with that larger movement and, at heart and core, with the Web of Life.  This was one of those conversations that could have gone on forever.  It didn't, we stopped at a reasonable time and are definitely planning to cycle back with each other. And the cats visited—Toby's and mine—which always makes a podcast flow with extra energy. Enjoy! BSI Website The Nature of Trust toolkit (free and online)Living Systems Leadership Retreat for Women- in NM Aug 31-Sept 5  - open for registration!Intro to Biomimicry for Social Innovation - virtual 4-week workshop, starts in OctoberNature of Trust Co-Lab - virtual 10-week deep dive training, starts in SeptemberToby on LinkedIn  (funny, when I open this, it asks me to join LinkedIn, rather than taking me to the page)What would Nature Do? Toby's Talk at Festival of Faiths (27 min video)  Indigenous Mycelium Gathering 2025  (8 min video)Other BSI resources:Life's Principles Leadership Cards - a deck of 52 cards for learning and Nature Tarot!Nature Positive Practices - delivering Nature's genius to your inbox twice a week!—About Accidental Gods—We offer three strands all rooted in the same soil, drawing from the same river: Accidental Gods, Dreaming Awake and the Thrutopia Writing Masterclass Our next Open Gathering offered as part of our Accidental Gods Programme is 'WALKING THE PATH OF THE INNER WARRIOR' which will run on Sunday 28th June 2026 from 16:00 - 20:00 GMT - details are here. You don't have to be a member of Accidental Gods to come along - but if you are, all Gatherings are half price.If you'd like to join us at Accidental Gods, this is the membership where we endeavour to help you to connect fully with the living web of life. If you'd like to train more deeply in the contemporary shamanic work at Dreaming Awake, you'll find us here.  The next Foundation Course is in October and currently has spaces. If you'd like to explore the recordings from our last Thrutopia Writing Masterclass, the details are hereManda and Louise both offer one-to-one Mentoring Calls.  Manda is fully booked just now, but if you'd like to contact Louise, details are here.

Welcome to a new, limited podcast series exploring major policy changes affecting older adults. This episode is part of our Age-Friendly Health series, which explores topics at the intersection of aging, health, health care, and health policy.In our third and final episode for the series in 2026, host Katherine Ornstein welcomes Alison Barkoff of George Washington University to the program to discuss the rising economic and social importance of family caregiving, recent federal policy shifts affecting Medicaid and caregiver programs, and new interventions at the state and private‑sector levels.Support for the Age-Friendly Health series is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation.Related Links:Reflections On Caregiving Policy: Progress, Challenges, And Opportunities (Health Affairs Forefront)History Repeats? Faced With Medicaid Cuts, States Reduced Support For Older Adults And Disabled People (Health Affairs Forefront)Long Term Services and Supports InitiativeNational Strategy to Support Family CaregiversNation Alliance for Caregiving's Caregiver Nation Coalition

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Jeff Romine of Carelon Research about his recent paper exploring new research on how extreme heat affects health care use and costs, finding consistent increases in emergency department visits and some hospitalizations, but little change in outpatient care. Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

Welcome to a new, limited podcast series exploring major policy changes affecting older adults. This episode is part of our Age-Friendly Health series, which explores topics at the intersection of aging, health, health care, and health policy.In our second episode, host Katherine Ornstein welcomes Bianca Frogner, director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University of Washington to discuss the role of direct care workers in long‑term care, workforce shortages, policy shifts affecting Medicaid, immigration, labor standards, and more.Support for the Age-Friendly Health series is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation.Related LinksHealth Care Workforce Pay Gaps: COVID-19 Modestly Compressed Wage Disparities, 2015–24The AWARD NetworkPHI

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Dhara Patel of the Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School about her recent paper exploring national trends in cold‑related illness hospitalizations and how climate change and social vulnerability shape health risks across the United States.Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

I just got back from the Customer Alpha event that was part of the broader FTT Embedded Finance, Payments, and Future Identity event, put on by VC Innovations. It was the first time I've spoken publicly about my concept of THE UN-WOW, focusing our efforts more on everyday mundane experiences rather than transformative metamorphic experiences. There is more to it than that, so stay tuned for updates as I work on a book on THE UN-WOW.  While in London, I was able to go to the Tate Modern Art Museum. This was quite the shift after visiting museums in Florence with all of the Renaissance representational art. One of the interesting differences between the two is that the art in Florence often was made for patrons who were commissioning artwork, which ultimately was made to please those patrons. The art in the Tate often was made by artists who were trying to please themselves using art as a statement. As a result, the artists' statements became a key piece of looking at and understanding what the art was meant to represent and the response it was hoping to create.  Regardless of whether sponsored representational or abstract and surreal, through art one can give external voice to one's internal dialogue to create a social experience.  On today's episode of Experience by Design podcast, I welcome Ali Fawkes, the Head of Social Innovation at the social design firm Humanly. “Humanly is an award-winning design studio specializing in human-centered design for social impact.” On their website, they continue to describe themselves as, “specialising in inclusive, creative and participatory research and design with seldom-heard and underrepresented groups.” I came to learn about Ali and Humanly through a paper she co-authored on “Co-designing the Future of Respiratory Healthcare” in the journal CoDesign - the International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts, detailing their work and approach. Ali is a self-described “art kid,” who found an outlet for her own voice. She went on to get a degree in Fine Art from the University of Kent, as well as additional certifications and degrees in Secondary Art and Special and Inclusive Education from the University of Cambridge. Ali describes co-design efforts she did with students during her work as a secondary school art teacher and educator in schools whose students had special needs.  She describes her journey from that rewarding work to working with Humanly. We discuss how being an outsider with little knowledge about a setting or industry can be a real gift to having open eyes and ears to learn from people who are often not listened to. Ali discusses the ethical considerations and methodologies involved in working with underrepresented groups, emphasizing the importance of truthful representation and co-design approaches. We also discuss the importance of her artistic background as a source of challenging norms and disruption, leading to innovative approaches.  And if doing social design and impact isn't enough heavy lifting, Ali also participates in strongperson competitions, lifting very heavy things and sometimes having to carry them across distances. Which is not unlike trying to lift complex problems and carry solutions forward. I always love good art talk on Experience by Design, and especially when it is connected to social impact.  Ali Fawkes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alifawkes/ Humanly: https://www.designhumanly.com/ “Co-designing the Future of Respiratory Healthcare”: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15710882.2025.2603298

Welcome to the first episode in a new, limited podcast series exploring major policy changes affecting older adults. The episode is part of our Age-Friendly Health series, which explores topics at the intersection of aging, health, health care, and health policy. In our first episode, host Katherine Ornstein welcomes Hemi Tewarson of the National Academy for State Health Policy to discuss how The Big Beautiful Bill will impact Medicaid and state health policies affecting older adults. Their conversation explores work requirements, Medicaid financing changes, rural health investments, the sustainability of age‑friendly services, and more.Support for the Age-Friendly Health series is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks with Cynthia Strathmann of SAJE about her recent paper that examines how climate impacts such as extreme heat affect low‑income renters and what policymakers can do to balance climate adaptation with housing stability.Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks with Maud Powell of Oregon State University about her recent paper examining stress and anxiety among farmers and ranchers and the interventions that may help address these challenges.Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

In this episode of Behind the Pages, Health Affairs Publishing's Margaret Winchester interviews theme issue advisor Sacoby Wilson of The University of Maryland about key themes from the May Health Affairs issue on climate, health, and equity, with a focus on community‑led approaches, health system interventions, and scalable policy solutions to address climate‑related health risks. Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Join Health Affairs Publishing on May 6th for a free virtual event discussing research, insights, data, and takeaways from the May 2026 theme issue on climate, health, and equity.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

How can we turn the 'what ifs' into the 'why nots'?...Today, Abbie, Juanita, and Flavio discuss the World Cafe, including the history of how it came to be and how it continues to evolve in relationship with other approaches like Coordinated Management of Meaning and Appreciative Inquiry....Juanita Brown, PhD. is the Co-founder of the World Cafe with her partner, David Isaacs as well as the co-author, also with David, of the award winning book, The World Café: Shaping our Futures Through Conversations that Matter, now translated into 18 languages. For more than 40 years Juanita has collaborated as a thinking partner with senior leaders across sectors in the U.S. and abroad, crafting large-scale change strategies and creating innovative forums for strategic dialogue on critical business and societal issues. Juanita has served as a Research Affiliate with the MIT Organizational Learning Center and the Institute for the Future, and as a Fellow with both the World Business Academy and The Fielding Institute for Social Innovation. Now in her 80's, Juanita contributes to local community resilience and social healing from her family's legacy homestead in the mountains of North Carolina.  Since 1978, Mesquita da Silva has worked in Brazil and internationally in consulting, training, and coaching across human, social, environmental, educational, and organizational development, collaborating with nonprofits, universities, governments, businesses, and United Nations initiatives. He received the Honor to Merit for Relevant Work in the Service of Peace from Brazil's Chamber of Deputies and a Research Scholarship Award from the Institute for Social Innovation at Fielding Graduate University for studies on the World Café.He is a Marie Fielder Fellow and an Institute for Social Innovation Fellow at Fielding Graduate University, where he earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Human and Organizational Systems, focusing on the World Café and cultures of peace. He also holds an M.A. in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University Seattle with his graduate project: A Holistic Systemic Approach to Peace: A Case for Design....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....CMM Institute SubstackCMM Institute Events Page…⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Explore all things CMM Institute here.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott interviews Jason Buxbaum of Brown University about his recent paper that explores new research on administrative spending in U.S. health insurance and why it varies so widely across states and markets. Order the March 2026 issue of Health Affairs.'Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

In this episode of Work with Purpose, we discuss how a widening gap between external change and internal capability in the public sector is becoming a major threat to both public trust and effective government.As governments navigate social media distortion, geopolitical instability, cognitive warfare and rapid advances in AI, many public institutions are still operating in rigid, slow-moving ways better suited to an earlier era.Guest host Michelle Ainsworth, former ABC politics editor and Churchill Fellow, speaks with Sir Geoff Mulgan, Professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation at University College London alongside IPAA National Secretary Samantha Palmer, about why trust in government now depends on more than competence alone.Australia's public service stands out internationally for its relative stability, integrity and institutional strength. Our panel discuss how Australia can use this advantage more ambitiously: to test new ideas, design better institutions and build models other democracies can learn from. The conversation explores how governments can respond to ethical failures more effectively, why public services need to become more transparent and conversational, and what it will take to avoid a new wave of AI-related public sector scandals.Key tipsTrust is built through both competence and integrity. Public confidence depends not just on delivering results, but on being seen as honest, accountable, and guided by clear moral purpose.Governments need to innovate more systematically. Public institutions cannot afford to remain rigid while technology and public expectations move quickly around them.AI should be tested, staged, and governed carefully. Strong procurement, user testing, ethical oversight, and in-house capability are essential to avoid costly failures.Work with Purpose is produced by contentgroup in partnership with IPAA ACT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott interviews Andrew Anderson of Johns Hopkins University about his recent paper that explores new research on the Medicare Advantage Star Ratings program and how effectively it has driven quality improvement over time. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.Order the April 2026 issue of Health Affairs.

Low funding, low volunteering and burnout: challenges plaguing the community sector in N.L.. On today's show: what do communities need to do to adapt and thrive in today's world? This episode's panel are organizing a festival aiming at “future-proofing” community organizations. GUESTS - Nicole Dawe, Executive Director, Community Foundation of Newfoundland an Labrador; Mariana Jiménez Ojeda, Manager of Social Innovation, Community Sector Council of Newfoundland and Labrador; Nancy Leung, Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, Centre for Social Enterprise, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador; Kristen Murray, Co-operative Development Officer, Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Cooperatives; Genevieve McCorquodale, Project Manager with Irish Loop Tourism with CBDC Celtic; and Sean Wiltshirewith Avalon Employment.

Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews James Robinson of the University of California Berkeley about his recent paper exploring most favored nation drug pricing, weighing its feasibility, likely effects on drug launch prices, and implications for global pharmaceutical innovation and investment. Order the April 2026 issue of Health Affairs.

On a special emergency pod episode of Health Affairs This Week coming to you on the A Health Podyssey feed, Health Affairs Publishing's Jeff Byers welcomes Brown University's David Meyers to the pod to unpack the 2027 Medicare Advantage final payment rule, including the higher-than-anticipated rate increase, changes to risk adjustment models, what is V28, and the tradeoffs between market stability and long-term program sustainability.To view an Insider Cheat Sheet on the MA rule, purchase Insider.On April 20th, join us for our upcoming Insider exclusive event exploring the evolution of the Medicare Advantage market featuring Sachin Jain, David Meyers, and Grace Mackleby.Related Links:Assessing Recent Regulatory Action On Medicare Advantage (Health Affairs Forefront)

In the minds of many, entrepreneurship is an inherently capitalist activity – an entrepreneur starts a business and, all going well, it grows and they make money. Yet how does this explain the concept of “social entrepreneurship” and all that it entails? To explore this further it is a pleasure to welcome Professor Sheila Cannon to the Brain for Business podcast.About our guest…Sheila Cannon is Associate Professor in Social Innovation at Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin. She conducts research on and teaches about social enterprises, nonprofits, and civil society organisations. Her research contributes to knowledge on how organisations influence and respond to socio-cultural change. So far, she has studied contexts including peacebuilding, LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights, digital disruption, just transition, rural development, and nature based enterprises.You can find out more about Sheila and her research at this page:https://www.tcd.ie/business/people/faculty-professors/cannonsh/More information on some of the organisations discussed in the podcast is available on their websites:https://moyeecoffee.ie/https://food.cloud/https://shuttleknit.ie/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott interviews Dr. Ashish Jha about the future of public health education, the growing threat of engineered pathogens and building a bio-intelligence company, and practical approaches to slowing health care spending while preserving access and innovation.

Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Em Balkan of Brown University about their recent paper showing that rapid disenrollment from Medicare Advantage plans tripled from 2017 to 2022, with higher rates among dual‑eligible beneficiaries and certain racial and ethnic groups  — raising questions about how well plans are meeting beneficiaries' needs.Order the March 2026 issue of Health Affairs.

Tired of working in silos? For over two decades, the Center for Social Innovation (CSI) has shown that collaboration—and the power of social capital—is the engine of change. In this deep-dive conversation, CSI Co-founder and CEO Tonya Surman shares the journey of building one of the world's first co-working spaces—a home for changemakers where “the chaos is everywhere” and “the forks do not match.”Discover how CSI evolved from a simple idea about shared space into a pioneering Collaborative Infrastructure Organization (CIO), designed to build the trust, relationships, and social capital needed to tackle the world's biggest challenges. Learn why Tonya believes the future of social impact lies in moving beyond convening to true collective action—and why investing in long-term infrastructure is key to creating regenerative, movement-building solutions.If you're a leader, social innovator, or simply someone trying to make a difference, explore the power of intentional community design—and how strengthening social capital can shift the sector from scarcity to abundance.

Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews David Powell of the University of Pennsylvania about his recent paper exploring new research showing SSDI beneficiaries face significantly elevated mortality during the mandatory two‑year waiting period for Medicare for such beneficiaries, why the waiting period exists, how it affects access to care, and what policy options could better serve this vulnerable population.Order the March 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast for everyone.

Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Anna Zink of Tufts University about on her recent paper examining studies of an FDA‑approved cardiac diagnostic AI tool, fractional flow reserve derived from computed tomography. They discuss how the tool shifts testing patterns, raises some costs, reduces invasive procedures, and may improve outcomes—along with what it all means for Medicare reimbursement and the future of AI regulation.Order the March 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast

Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel about his new book, Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life. He explains why he wrote a wellness guide for the general public, what frustrates him about today's “wellness industrial complex,” and why evidence‑based habits — not trendy supplements or extreme routines — are key to long‑term health.Pick up a copy of his new book, Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life.Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast

In this episode of The Wisdom Of ... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Dr Naba Alfayadh, emergency medicine doctor, social entrepreneur, Stanford-trained innovator, and Founder and CEO of Rahma Health. Naba's organisation has reached over 3 million Arabic-speaking families globally, achieved 95% parent behaviour change in under 10 minutes, and in 2025 won three simultaneous national Telstra awards, including Business of the Year. A former Iraqi refugee who fled war at age 10, Naba has built a life and an organisation at the intersection of medicine, technology, and the most foundational force she's identified in human development … love.Simon builds a live visual model, ‘The Rahma Health Behaviour Change Pathway', capturing the precise framework behind how cultural safety becomes the gateway to real, measurable transformation.Ready to apply systematic frameworks like this in your own business?Join Simon's Masterclass on The Models Method: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass.Episode Breakdown00:00 Welcome to The Wisdom Of ... Show and introduction of Dr Naba Alfayadh04:15 From Iraq to Australia, the refugee journey that shaped everything10:30 Founding Happy Brain Education at 22: what a student sees that institutions miss17:45 The genesis of Rahma Health and why COVID turned out to be the moment24:10 What "culturally safe" actually means and why it's a performance variable, not a value statement31:55 The behaviour change data: how 5–10 minutes produces 95% change and doubled health literacy38:20 LIVE MODEL BUILD: The Rahma Health Behaviour Change Pathway47:00 Intergenerational trauma, the precise mechanism by which conditional love becomes a survival programme55:30 Unconditional love as leadership: what the research shows and why it's not soft01:03:15 The three principles for leading across cultures: listening, respect, and love01:10:40 Kookaburra Kindness, writing a children's book with her daughter in response to the Bondi tragedy01:17:00 What it means to build something. Not to become a billionaire, but because there are things to be done.01:17:53 Closing reflections and the green lineAbout Dr Naba AlfayadhDr Naba Alfayadh is a General Practice Registrar, emergency medicine doctor, public health leader, and serial social entrepreneur whose work has supported more than three million people globally. She is the Founder and CEO of Rahma Health, an award-winning Australian charity creating culturally and psychologically safe health and parenting resources for Arabic-speaking families worldwide.Born in Iraq, Dr Alfayadh fled to Australia in 2003 at age 10 during the Iraq War, after her school was bombed. She graduated from Monash University with MBBS/BMedSci degrees on a Merit and Equity Scholarship, and later studied Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Stanford University. She co-founded Happy Brain Education at age 22, growing it to serve 2,000+ students with 50 staff across two states, before founding Rahma Health in 2021.Under her leadership, Rahma Health has reached over 3 million users globally, partnered with 50 international organisations, and published research with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute demonstrating that health literacy more than doubled after just 5–10 minutes of platform use, with 95% of parents reporting behaviour change. She currently serves on the Governance Committee, updating Maternity and Neonatal Handbooks for Safer Care Victoria.In 2025, Dr Alfayadh was named Telstra Business of the Year, Telstra Championing Health, and Telstra Accelerating Women - three simultaneous national awards. She also received the Women's Health Medal of Distinction Australasia 2025 and the Monash Emerging Leaders Alumni Award. She is a Westpac Social Change Fellow and a Women's Agenda Leadership Awards Finalist.Connect with Dr Naba Alfayadh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmalfayadh/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myrahmahealth/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myrahmahealth/Website: https://rahma.health/about-rahma-health/About Simon BowenSimon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognising that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations.Connect with SimonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/Get Simon Bowen's Personal Newsletter for Leaders, Thinkers, and Entrepreneurs!Sign Up Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter.Join Simon's Masterclass: Unlock your leadership potential with The Models Method.Learn to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact.Watch it Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass.

Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Derek T. Lake on his recent paper exploring new research on Optum's acquisitions, finding the company tended to buy physician practices already using ambulatory surgery centers and that its ASC acquisitions were followed by higher prices for competing insurers.Order the February 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast

Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews So-Yeon Kang of Georgetown University about her recent paper exploring trends in biopharmaceutical clinical trials after The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 authorized Medicare to negotiate prices for selected drugs. Order the January 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast

Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews John Scott of the University of Washington about his recent paper exploring findings on the financial fallout from traumatic injuries, highlighting persistent medical debt burdens and the policy gaps that leave many patients unprotected. Order the February 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast

Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Dr. Robert Wachter, Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at UCSF, about his new book A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future. Wachter reflects on his own daily use of AI as a clinician, the reasons he has grown optimistic about its potential, and the challenges of regulating fast‑evolving technologies. Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast

Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Sayeh Nikpay of the University of Minnesota about her recent paper exploring how The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and the 340B Program interact in ways that can unintentionally increase costs, the adoption of cost-saving strategies to mitigate these interactions, and how policymakers can act to balance Medicaid savings with revenue impacts on 340B-participating safety-net providers.Order the January 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast

Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Roslyn Murray of Brown University to discuss her paper exploring how Oregon's 2019 hospital payment cap saved $50 million annually while having little impact on hospital finances, operations, or patient care. Order the December 2025 issue of Health Affairs.Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast

In collaboration with IBM through the IBM Impact Accelerator, the University of Illinois developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered flood forecasting system that improves rainfall prediction and flood forecasting in the Appalachian Mountains in the U.S., with the potential for the program to be applied and adapted in other parts of the world. In this episode of Sustainability Leaders, Michael Torrance, BMO's Chief Sustainability Officer, sat down with two people who had a significant role in creating the solution: Ana Barros, Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Michael Jacobs, Head of Social Innovation, IBM. They discussed their collaboration, what went into building the forecasting system, and the future of environmental adaptation and disaster mitigation.   

Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Sherry Glied of New York University on her paper that explores how U.S. health spending growth slowed to less than half its historical rate, driven by lower utilization, slower price growth, and shifts in care delivery and administration.Order the January 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast