Podcast

Nationally renowned vaccine expert Dr. Todd Wolynn, co-founder of the vaccine-advocacy group Shots Heard Round the World and CEO and president of Kids Plus Pediatrics, joins host Grant Oliphant to discuss what the journey to a COVID-19 vaccine could look like, the politicization of mask wearing, and the key role communication skills play in modern-day medicine. 

Emmy-winning composer, director and photographer Emmai Alaquiva discusses the role of art in fighting "the radical particles that have been dropped in our laps" by the COVID-19 crisis, and the protests brought on by the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, who were later fired. Emmai is CEO of the media production entity Ya Momz House, which has produced work for clients such as Wiz Khalifa, The Roots, Martha Stewart, and NBC.

Global Leadership Award winner Leah Lizarondo, founder and CEO of 412 Food Rescue, shares what she believes COVID-19 reveals about food insecurity, the “Mister Rogers mentality” that drives the largest volunteer-led food transport network in the nation, and how movie star Michael Keaton has helped spur record volunteer involvement during the current crisis.

Dr. John Graham, a senior scientist with the Clean Air Task Force, talks with host Grant Oliphant about the effects COVID-19 is having on the air we breathe, why this is an “exceptional moment” for air quality, and what the current “war on expertise” could mean for our future.  A nationally respected expert in air quality data analysis, he has been with the Boston-based Clean Air Task Force for more than a decade, working with his colleagues to help prevent catastrophic climate change by driving technology innovation, policy change, and realistic solutions.

Patrick Dowd, executive director of Allies for Children, joins host Grant Oliphant to talk about the myriad of ways COVID-19 is affecting our young people, including hunger, access to technology, the health and well-being of their parents, child care – and the action needed to prepare for what’s next. 

Monica Ruiz, executive director of Latino advocacy organization Casa San Jose, joins host Grant Oliphant to talk about the unique ways COVID-19 is affecting immigrant and refugee communities, why the census is key to changing the narrative around Latinos, and the teachable moments that the current crisis offers us. 

Brookings Institution scholar and “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities” author Andre Perry joins former host Grant Oliphant to talk about the moral lessons we can learn from the COVID-19 crisis, why black and brown people are dying from the virus at a vastly disproportionate rate, and why hearing from his son’s teacher gives him hope. 

Artist/activist Jasiri X, co-founder and CEO of 1Hood Media, talks about the role of art in times of crisis, why COVID-19 lays bare a historic distrust of the medical system by people of color, and the reality that many who are deemed “essential workers” do not make a living wage.