For the last two years, Talking GOOD has featured a variety of individuals, passionate about a great many causes. I am proud to say, that this week’s interviewee, introduces us to a completely new genre on the cause spectrum — dachshund rescue to be specific. Sharon Schemel, sits on the Board of Directors for Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue (CCDR), a registered 501(c)(3) all-volunteer national charity (check out their PSA at the   Read More »

Karim Abouelnaga knows first hand the importance of having mentors. During his freshman year in high school, his father was diagnosed with terminal lymphoma. Without life insurance, it was necessary for the family to sell their home and their store — the one Karim was going to one day own and manage. His future snatched away, Karim dove into his schoolwork. With focus, determination, and a strong network of mentors,   Read More »

In the world of grassroots, breast cancer organizations, The Tyanna Foundation is the Benny Hill of nonprofits. With slogans like “help keep motor-boating alive” and “save the girls,” Tyanna is an organization that combines humor, irreverence, and sass, with a healthy dose of “f-you cancer!” sprinkled on top. Named after Tyanna Barre O’Brien who lost her battle with breast cancer at the age of 48, the foundation was launched in   Read More »

This past week was stained by the full spectrum of human tragedy: first in Boston, then Waco,and most recently in China. Yet emerging from the dark pall of calamity, we also learn of  the heroic and selfless acts of citizens — often members of the medical community. Perhaps then it’s fitting that this week’s Talking GOOD interview is with Dr. Ronald Delanois, orthopedic surgeon at Baltimore’s Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics   Read More »

Just a few weeks ago, Baltimore residents celebrated the passage of an unprecedented $1.1 billion financing plan to rebuild and renovate city schools. Leading the charge to make this happen was the Baltimore Education Coalition (BEC), a partnership of more than 25 schools, organizations and religious institutions, comprised of 3,000 parents, students, teachers, administrators, and community leaders. It was a feat of organizing tenacity, worthy of a veteran education advocate.   Read More »

Imagine your child in a school with outdated textbooks, few after school activities, and a shoestring budget. How would you want teachers to compensate for the dearth of programming and material resources? This is a question that Courtney Cass wrestles with in her role as Executive Director of Teach For America in Baltimore. TFA is a national organization where recent college graduates commit to teaching school for two years in   Read More »

Chris Bradshaw, this week’s rock-star citizen philanthropist, wants to know how your life would be different if you had never had access to books when you were young. Sit with that question for a moment. Personally, I find it chilling to think about the abyss this would have created in my own childhood, and how not having books would be a major handicap to one’s creativity, education, and emotional expression.   Read More »

How many of us know our purpose in life? How many of us knew at only 5 years of age, that our destiny was to help others? Joshua Williams did, and he is truly one of a kind. Joshua is the founder and President of Joshua’s Heart Foundation, a Miami-based organization dedicated to combating hunger and helping individuals improve their quality of life. Joshua’s story begins on an average Sunday.   Read More »

Last week, 50,000 protestors gathered on the Mall in Washington, D.C. for the Forward on Climate Rally, reminding the world how important it is to be vocal about ecological issues. As I am just beginning to stretch my environmentalist legs (FoC was my first rally!), I am in awe of this week’s Talking GOOD spotlight. LeeAnne Beres brings 20+ years of experience to the world of environmental activism, and is   Read More »

Have you ever seen a news story about a natural disaster in a different part of the world and thought for just a millisecond “I should go help”? Many of us have experienced this fleeting, selfless fantasy, but it’s almost immediately squashed by the realization that we have work and family responsibilities, not to mention financial constraints. In short, life gets in the way. So instead we send money, or   Read More »

Daniel Brannon doesn’t offer many specifics about his checkered past, saying only that he had to overcome a “difficult childhood, troubled adolescence, and colorful adult life.” He did tell me the exact day that he “got clean” — August 22, 2006. That was 2,348 days ago, almost six and a half years. And over that period Danny not only turned his own life around, but has made a profound impact   Read More »

If you read last week’s interview, you know that I am inspired by young people who champion causes and have a sense of personal accountability. In general, these are traits that we typically associate with more mature (ahem … older) individuals. But I’m realizing, that I am equally inspired by mature individuals who choose not to let go of their youthfulness, the desire to grow,  and that strong sense of   Read More »

Often you hear me marvel at how accomplished our Talking GOOD interviewees are, particularly in light of their young ages. Well, this week the bar has been set at an astronomically high level — “GINORMOUSLY high” as my son would say. I’m not even sure where to begin on this one. How about this … I’ll tell you the beginning of Katie Stagliano’s story, and I’ll tell you where she   Read More »

To kick off the 2013 Talking GOOD series, I’m featuring an individual from my former hometown of Boston, MA. Karley Ausiello, has spent a great deal of her life dedicated to the service of others. Today she does so as Vice President of Volunteer Engagement for United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley (and as a mom!). Before coming to United Way, Karley worked for 10 years at Massachusetts   Read More »

Today is widely purported to be the end of the world, so I think it’s a natural moment to reflect on the last 38 weeks of Talking GOOD interviews. Back on April 26, I began posting weekly interviews with an array of individuals from the nonprofit sector. Each week the questions were exactly the same, but the responses have been as diverse and colorful as the people answering them. As   Read More »

For someone who is coming to grips with “living a normal life” (her words, not mine), Lydia Bowers is doing some pretty extra-ordinary stuff. Lydia is the National Deputy Policy Director of the Roosevelt Institute, a nonprofit that gives college students the knowledge and tools they need to create progressive policy. The Institute is full of extremely intelligent and driven people (Lydia among them), who are churning out some really   Read More »

I cannot help but marvel at the passion, commitment and smarts of the 20-somethings that we feature here in Talking GOOD. I think back to my own 20s and realize how self-obsessed I was at that time of my live. It’s a testament to the maturity of these individuals and also, I suspect, to a generation of kids who came of age in a post 9/11 world (as opposed to   Read More »

Over her long career in the health and nonprofit sectors, Barbra Levin’s main goal has been to give comfort to those in need. Barbra is the Executive Director of Neurofibromatosis (NF) Mid-Atlantic, an organization that provides resources and fosters community for those with NF. NF is a multifaceted and complex illness. It can cause tumors to grow all over the body, and sometimes disfigurement, which can truly isolate those who   Read More »

Here on the East Coast we are still recovering from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy at the end of October (and let’s not forget Hurricane Isaac at the end of August). The destruction was a sharp reminder of the connection between environmental degradation and natural disasters. Cynthia Sarthou seeks to help others see these big picture environmental connections. Cynthia “Cyn” Sarthou is the Executive Director of The Gulf Restoration   Read More »

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, many Americans are planning elaborate feasts: mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and for the adventurous culinary palate, a turducken. However, not only are there those who can’t indulge in home cooked meals, but there are many who have no nourishment whatsoever and are completely debilitated by hunger. Not to ruin your joyous Thanksgiving mood, but every six seconds, a child dies from hunger. Andrew Sullivan is dedicated   Read More »

Question: What things do you associate with the holiday of Thanksgiving? Like most Americans, you might immediately think of family gatherings, over-eating, football, massive sales, and the start of the commercial holiday season. I think about how Starbucks switches to that annoying Christmas music 24×7. But my friend Lee Hendler has very different ideas about what Thanksgiving is all about. Since 2001, she has crusaded for the idea that Thanksgiving   Read More »

Robin Held helps young artists achieve their dreams. Robin is the Executive Director of Reel Grrls, an organization dedicated to giving young women (ages 9-21) media production skills so they can have the tools to express their stories and ideas. Prior to working at Reel Grrls, Robin was the Deputy Director of Collections at the Frye Art Museum (where she breathed new life into the traditional exhibits and won a   Read More »

Kids dressed as ghouls and goblins won’t be the only ones going green this Halloween. Corey Colwell-Lipson is the co-founder of Green Year, LLC, and the Green Halloween movement (and sister program National Costume Swap Day), a Green America initiative dedicated to making Halloween a healthier, more earth-friendly, and sustainable holiday. Check out this NPR interview of Corey and co-founder/mother Lynn Colwell to learn more about what you can do to   Read More »

Few people try to get ridiculously lost, and in the process actually find their true purpose. Sean Carasso is the founder of Falling Whistles, a campaign for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While traveling there (or as Sean says, “getting as lost as possible”), he witnessed the horrors that the war in the Congo caused and decided to do something about it. By selling whistles and other merchandise   Read More »

This past April, she appeared on a list with the heading “The 2012 TIME 100” (referring to TIME Magazine’s selection of the 100 Most Influential People in the World — see the awesome video at the bottom of this post). To be clear, we’re not talking about the “most influential nonprofit leaders,” or “the most influential activists.” No. We’re talking about “most influential people … in the world.” This is   Read More »

How many people can boast being interviewed by Katie Couric in a devil costume? Toby Crittenden can. Toby is the Executive Director of the Washington Bus, an organization that strives to engage youth in politics through “education, civic and cultural engagement, and hands-on democracy.” The Seattle native and Oberlin College graduate is in charge of many of “The Bus” events and leadership development programs, tasks that his quirky and captivating   Read More »

Zeke Berzoff-Cohen is a name that consistently comes up in Baltimore when people talk about social justice. Zeke works tirelessly to change the world around him, and so far he’s making quite an impact. Zeke is the Executive Director and co-founder of The Intersection, an organization that teaches Baltimore City youth community organizing skills so they have the power and know-how to change the world around them. It seems that   Read More »

I am so happy to be featuring Susan Retik on Talking GOOD this week. To me, Susan is the embodiment of the values which I try to promote on this site: persistence, finding the good, paying it forward, overcoming adversity, and so forth. And apparently I am not the only one that feels this way about Susan. On August 4, 2010, President Obama said I agree with Rich Polt (that’s   Read More »

In middle school, Lauren Parsekian, who had once run with the in-crowd, was ostracized and bullied by her group of “friends,” making life unbearable. She was afraid to go to school, became depressed, and even attempted suicide in the 7th grade. It’s funny how our greatest hurdles in life can morph into our greatest gifts to the world. Fast forward to 2009. Lauren and her friend Molly Thompson set out   Read More »

One of the most exciting aspects of the Talking GOOD interview is that readers like you and me can learn much more about someone than would otherwise be gleaned from a conventional bio or press release. Case in point, when Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland recently hired Stephanie Archer-Smith as their new Executive Director, this was the press release that they issued. It’s a perfectly acceptable announcement and it   Read More »

Scott Burkholder is the Executive Director of the Baltimore Love Project. But before I continue, there are two things I must say right off the bat about Scott: 1) This guy makes things happen! I’ve only known Scott for a short while, but I’ve now seen him “get the job done” on multiple occasions. EXAMPLE #1: Several weeks ago, we were at an event with about 100 other people. The   Read More »

I met Sam Boyd recently at an event called Baltimore unWIREd. Lots of people spoke that day, but Sam had a standout presentation, in large part because of the powerful video that she shared. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Sam Boyd is an artist, teacher, mentor, storyteller, and proud Baltimorean. While growing up in the neighborhood of Hampden, Sam participated in an upstart nonprofit program called Wide Angle Youth   Read More »

One of the larger and more recent success stories to emerge in the world of Jewish philanthropy is the New York-based Slingshot Fund. The organization is built around the unique pairing of 1) a “next-gen” (i.e, too young to remember record players) funding collaborative and, 2) an annual Zagats-like resource guide to 50 of the most creative and effective Jewish organizations in the country. To be named a “Slingshot Organization”   Read More »

Brad Nornhold is a middle school math teacher in Baltimore City. And apparently, he’s really good at his job. That’s why the City of Baltimore recognized Brad last April with the prestigious “Teacher of the Year” award. Now, he is one of 24 finalists in the running for the State of Maryland’s Teacher of the Year, to be announced in the fall. I learned of Brad’s story because he teaches   Read More »

I first met Jamie McDonald a bit more than a year ago, as she was preparing to launch her ambitious social enterprise, GiveCorps. For those of you outside Baltimore (and those in Baltimore who live under rocks), GiveCorps is building an online community of local citizen philanthropists — people who have a passion for giving to area nonprofits, and in so doing, get to take advantage of local merchant rewards.   Read More »

In Baltimore, Maryland, one of the most influential and venerable organizations is THE ASSOCIATED — our city’s chapter of the Jewish Federation System (FYI: I’m not capitalizing the name for emphasis. That’s how it is actually written). Michelle Gordon is not the President of THE ASSOCIATED. Nor is she an Executive Vice President, or a C.O. fill-in-the-blank. No … Michelle is the person who keeps them all in line! As   Read More »

Christina Betancourt Johnson is someone who finds fulfillment by serving others. For more than ten years, she has worked in the nonprofit sector, building brands and communication platforms for some of the Nation’s most well respected NGOs. She’s currently a Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications at Global Impact, a DC-based organization that boasts the URL: www.charity.org (they must have purchased that shortly after Al Gore invented the Internet). Global   Read More »

Every week, Talking GOOD features individuals whose dedication to purpose is woven in to the fabric of their beings. However, I find it particularly inspiring when that individual was born after 1982 (i.e, is still in his/her 20s). It’s so  refreshing to meet young men and women who, unlike me at that age, are thinking less about themselves and more about their contribution to a calling. This week’s spotlight,  Dylan   Read More »

The second I read Kristen Kenney’s bio, I wanted to feature her on Talking GOOD. Kristen is a prime example of someone who’s purpose in life was forged directly from a profound, life-changing (and life-threatening) experience. In 2009, Kristen along with an Emmy award-winning Travel Channel film crew, found themselves in Tanzania, Africa working on a documentary. While there, she contracted an aggressive form of malaria. It cost Kristen less   Read More »

Have you ever wanted to walk away from the madness of your day-to-day routine to pursue a dream … no matter how crazy it might feel? Who doesn’t harbor such fantasies from time to time? The only difference between most of us and Steve Smith is that he, along with his wife Alayne Marker, actually did it! After a 17 year career, which took him to the halls of the   Read More »

When I was introduced virtually to Elijah van der Giessen (he goes by Eli), the name immediately evoked images of 20th century architecture.  No doubt I was thinking of either Mies van der Rohe or the much less talented alter-ego of George Costanza, architect Art Vandelay. In any event, Eli is much hipper than George Costanza and much more alive than Mr. van der Rohe. He’s also not an architect. Eli   Read More »

From a San Francisco head shop (in the 1960′s) to “head” of Resource Development at Baltimore’s oldest non-profit housing provider, Karen Griffin is a veteran of the nonprofit space and a strong advocate for equal rights. Since 2006, Karen has served as Director of Resource Development at Baltimore City’s St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, where, to date, she has raised more than $6.2 million, and aggressively built an engaged donor   Read More »

I asked Jean Horstman to answer my Talking GOOD questions because of her more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, spanning the private, public, and nonprofit sectors on two continents. Today, Jean is CEO of Interise, a Boston-based nonprofit that acts as an incubator of sorts for small businesses, by providing owners with entrepreneurial education, new networks, and access to markets. Check out the video at the end of   Read More »

I never met Debra Dawson in person, but from our email exchanges I can tell you that she has endless reserves of passion and energy. I would ask her a one sentence question and she would respond with five or six paragraphs. Undoubtedly, it’s this energy and enthusiasm that has allowed her to be so successful in business and in philanthropy. Deb is the President of African Soul, American Heart,   Read More »

Andrew Buerger launched Jodi’s Climb for Hope in 2006, after his sister Jodi Buerger was diagnosed with breast cancer. The upstart nonprofit brought together Andy’s growing infatuation with the sport of mountain climbing, and his love for his sister. Jodi succumbed to her illness in 2009, but the nonprofit has only grown. In the last four years, it has donated more than $500,000 to Johns Hopkins University for a vaccine   Read More »

Last month, I had lunch with Deborah Flatemen, Chief Executive Officer of the Maryland Food Bank. Among other things, we discussed our love for music, our time living in New England, and what it was that drew us to Baltimore. Deborah also provided me with an overview of the MD Food Bank, and the critical role it plays within a much larger national food distribution supply chain, which ultimately provides   Read More »

In St. Louis, MO there is a nonprofit called The Mission Continues that is not so quietly redefining the term “veteran service organization.” And for four months last year — including the period between 9/11 and Veterans’ Day — I had the privilege of working closely with their leadership team. Many returning veterans feel a profound sense of lost purpose when they return from war. The Mission Continues challenges veterans   Read More »

A few years ago, I was introduced to the Boston-based nonprofit MitoAction, which helps improve the quality of life for those affected by mitochondrial disease. As a cyclist, I knew that our mitochondria — tiny organelles found in almost all of our cells — were responsible for giving our body its energy. But I didn’t realize that there was an entire category of chronic, genetic disorders that occur when the   Read More »

Tyrone Barnwell is a community organizer with Baltimore’s Safe & Sound Campaign, a 10-year movement to measurably improve conditions for children, youth and families under the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s national Urban Health Initiative. A three year veteran of the organization (half of which was spent as a volunteer), Tyrone leads the advocacy effort to stop the building of a new jail for youth charged as adults. 1. IN JUST   Read More »

This week, I’m featuring a well known personality on Maryland’s nonprofit scene: Angie Barnett, President/CEO of Better Business Bureau, Greater Maryland. Angie’s background includes over 20 years experience serving in executive roles for nonprofit organizations. She assumed the leadership position as President/CEO of BBB Greater MD in March, 2006.  In 2010, Angie was named the Brava! Women in Business Woman of the Year by SmartCEO magazine. Next month, BBB Greater MD   Read More »

This week, I’m Talking GOOD with Kim Callari, Director of Development & Communications at The Baltimore Station, a residential therapeutic recovery program for homeless men, primarily veterans, recovering from chronic substance abuse. After years working for such for-profit giants as WorldCom, Kim launched a consulting company out of her home, focused on corporate meetings and events. In 2011, Kim decided it was time to get out of her house, and made   Read More »

Last month, I wrote a piece about John Leonard, the accomplished, 50-something nonprofit  professional who today is navigating an unforgiving job market. The post generated a lot of comments, mostly from John’s former co-workers, who wanted to go on record with positive character references and words of support for him. I was blown away by the outpouring of support on this site and recently learned that John was able to   Read More »

Last week, I sat down for coffee and conversation with John Leonard. Do you know John? I didn’t know him prior to December 15, when he introduced himself to me at a business event. But he made a hell of an impression, which is why he’s the focus of this post. I’ll make a long story short. John was the Director of Marketing and Communications with the nationally recognized, DC-based   Read More »