Episodi

  • How to Maintain the Oldest Democracy in the World | Michelle Schenandoah

    How to Maintain the Oldest Democracy in the World | Michelle Schenandoah
    Oct 12 2026
    In this episode of What If Instead?, Michelle Schenandoah, founder of the nonprofit Rematriation, joins Alejandro and Mim for a conversation about Haudenosaunee democracy, Indigenous matrilineal wisdom, and the possibilities for reimagining leadership and governance.Michelle shares the principles of peace at the heart of Haudenosaunee democracy, a representative-based system that has sustained communities for over 1,000 years. She explores the importance of women's authority and insights within this tradition and how Indigenous knowledge can offer valuable perspectives on the challenges facing democratic systems today.The conversation invites us to reconsider how power is distributed, whose perspectives shape our institutions, and what we can learn from traditions that place peace, collective well-being, and women's leadership at the center of decision-making.Listen in to discover how Indigenous matrilineal wisdom can help us imagine more inclusive and balanced systems of leadership, and why looking to enduring traditions may offer new possibilities for the future of democracy.In this episode, we explore:The Haudenosaunee and the history of one of the world’s oldest continuing representative-based democraciesThe principles of peace at the heart of Haudenosaunee democracyMichelle Schenandoah’s work as founder of the nonprofit RematriationThe role of women’s authority and insights in Haudenosaunee governanceHow Indigenous matrilineal wisdom offers a blueprint for rebalancing powerWhat contemporary leaders and organizations can learn from Indigenous approaches to governanceHow collective wisdom, shared responsibility, and peace can shape more inclusive systemsWhat it means to rethink democracy by asking whose voices are heard and valuedConnect with the Podcast Co-Hosts:Alejandro Juárez Crawford: LinkedInMim Plavin-Masterman: LinkedInConnect with Michelle Schenandoah, Founder, Rematriation:Michelle Schenandoah: LinkedInRematriated Voices: https://www.rematriatedvoices.org/Rematriation: https://www.rematriation.org/Ms. Magazine article in the Feminist250 series, “Haudenosaunee Governance: The Matrilineal Democracy That Shaped America” - https://msmagazine.com/2026/03/05/haudenosaunee-government-matrilineal-democracy-america-constitution-native-women/Cultural Survival article, “We’re Not Feminists, We’re the Law” - https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/were-not-feminists-were-law___________What if Instead? is produced with generous support from:The Democratizing Innovation InstituteEver look around you and ask what if instead things worked differently?The institute takes what we used to think only innovators and entrepreneurs did, and makes it normal. We're on a mission to provide the tools, the space, and the connections to ask the question in practice—by taking part in an experiment in how things could work.Social Impact Lab BRACULearn More About:One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial RevolutionOne Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution on SpotifyOne Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution on Audible More From What If Instead? Diseconomies of Scale | Michael ShumanMentorship & Collaboration: The Alignment That Changes The World | Evelina Van Mensel and Martin NedevTalking To People Who Think Like Us Has Made Us Stagnant | Trevor Vaughn and Hunter BuffingtonA System for Unexpected Connections | David GarrisonWhy Building Communities with Fire-Resilient Standards is a Game Changer | Alister WattSPECIAL EPISODE: One Size Fits None Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution is available on AudiobookChanging the World of Non-Fiction | Ramona Liberoff Why an Experimental Mindset Matters in Leadership and Innovation
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    1 ora e 6 min
  • Why an Experimental Mindset Matters in Leadership and Innovation

    Why an Experimental Mindset Matters in Leadership and Innovation
    Sep 15 2026
    In this episode, Steve Brookstein, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Management of Innovation at the Saunders School of Business at RIT, joins Alejandro and Mim for a conversation about the mindset necessary to lead and innovate in an entrepreneurial environment. They explain why embracing failure, humility, and an experimentation mindset is critical to your organization's success. Steve shares his philosophy that “it takes someone very big to be small,” challenging the idea that entrepreneurs and leaders need to project certainty or have all the answers. Instead, creating the conditions for innovation often means being willing to acknowledge mistakes, listen to others, and learn from failure.Listen in to explore how a growth mindset can transform the way entrepreneurs and organizations approach innovation, and how some of history’s greatest success stories emerged from failure rather than in spite of it.In this episode, we explore:Why a fear of failure can hold entrepreneurs and organizations backSteve Brookstein’s philosophy that “it takes someone very big to be small”What a growth mindset looks like in entrepreneurship and innovationThe principles of bottom-up innovation and why great ideas don’t always come from the topHow entrepreneurs and visionaries have used failure as fuel for extraordinary successWhy mistakes can be an essential part of the innovation processHow organizations can create environments where experimentation and learning are encouragedHow Steve plans to use One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution in his upcoming class at RITWhat it means to build a culture where people feel empowered to innovateConnect with the Podcast Co-Hosts:Alejandro Juárez Crawford: LinkedInMim Plavin-Masterman: LinkedInConnect with Steve, Adjunct Professor at Saunders College of Business :Steve Brookstein: LinkedIn___________What if Instead? is produced with generous support from:The Democratizing Innovation InstituteEver look around you and ask what if instead things worked differently?The institute takes what we used to think only innovators and entrepreneurs did, and makes it normal. We're on a mission to provide the tools, the space, and the connections to ask the question in practice—by taking part in an experiment in how things could work.Social Impact Lab BRACULearn More About:One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial RevolutionOne Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution on SpotifyOne Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution on Audible More From What If Instead? Diseconomies of Scale | Michael ShumanMentorship & Collaboration: The Alignment That Changes The World | Evelina Van Mensel and Martin NedevTalking To People Who Think Like Us Has Made Us Stagnant | Trevor Vaughn and Hunter BuffingtonA System for Unexpected Connections | David GarrisonWhy Building Communities with Fire-Resilient Standards is a Game Changer | Alister WattSPECIAL EPISODE: One Size Fits None Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution is available on AudiobookChanging the World of Non-Fiction | Ramona Liberoff
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    1 ora e 6 min
  • Changing the World of Non-Fiction | Ramona Liberoff

    Changing the World of Non-Fiction | Ramona Liberoff
    Sep 3 2026
    In this episode, our dear friend (and the narrator of the audiobook version of "One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution") Ramona Liberoff talks about the crisis facing non-fiction and publishing, why traditional approaches to book discovery and summaries are falling short, and how Gist is creating a new kind of bridge back to long-form reading. Rather than asking people to simply pay attention for longer, Gist is asking a different question: What if technology could help us remember how to pay attention again? Listen in to learn more about the problem Gist is tackling, why our curiosity still matters, and what it might take to bring people back to books. In this episode, we explore the growing crisis in nonfiction and the disconnect between our appetite for ideas and our shrinking capacity for long-form attention. Ramona Liberoff, founder of Gist, discusses: Why nonfiction and publishing are struggling to keep people engagedHow summaries — from Cliff Notes and SparkNotes to AI — have changed the way we consume booksHow technology can stimulate curiosity rather than simply compete for attentionWhy Gist is building a bridge back to long-form nonfictionWhat the future of reading could look like when technology works with our curiosity, rather than against it The question Gist is exploring: How do we use the technology that has shortened our attention spans to help expand them again? And what if the way back to long-form reading isn't asking people to put their phones down — but giving them a reason to keep reading? Connect with the Podcast Co-Hosts: Alejandro Juárez Crawford: LinkedInMim Plavin-Masterman: LinkedIn Connect with Ramona, Founder of Gist: Ramona Liberoff: LinkedIn ___________ What if Instead? is produced with generous support from: The Democratizing Innovation Institute Ever look around you and ask what if instead things worked differently? The institute takes what we used to think only innovators and entrepreneurs did, and makes it normal. We're on a mission to provide the tools, the space, and the connections to ask the question in practice—by taking part in an experiment in how things could work. Social Impact Lab BRACU Learn More About: One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution on Spotify One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution on Audible More From What If Instead? Diseconomies of Scale | Michael Shuman Mentorship & Collaboration: The Alignment That Changes The World | Evelina Van Mensel and Martin Nedev Talking To People Who Think Like Us Has Made Us Stagnant | Trevor Vaughn and Hunter Buffington A System for Unexpected Connections | David Garrison Why Building Communities with Fire-Resilient Standards is a Game Changer | Alister Watt SPECIAL EPISODE: One Size Fits None Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution is available on Audiobook
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    1 ora e 2 min
  • *SPECIAL EPISODE* One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution is available on Audiobook

    *SPECIAL EPISODE* One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution is available on Audiobook
    Aug 17 2026

    *SPECIAL EPISODE* One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution is now available as an audiobook!

    In this episode, we give you an exclusive sneak peek into the book that launched experiments all around the world. For the first time ever, you can listen to:

    • A Special message by the authors: Alejandro Juárez Crawford and Mim Plavin-Masterman
    • The book introduction and first chapter read by Ramona Liberoff
    • And find out the “Why” behind the call for an entrepreneurial revolution

    00:00 - *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE AUTHORS*

    00:30 - Introduction to One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution

    08:24 - Part One: The Real Cost of the Hockey Stick: Chapter One: No Recourse

    Connect with the authors:

    • Alejandro Juárez Crawford: LinkedIn
    • Mim Plavin-Masterman: LinkedIn

    Connect with the narrator:

    • Ramona Liberoff: LinkedIn

    Additional Notes: The institutions and infrastructures currently in place are not working. We all feel it. Our world is more expensive, but less responsive to our needs. Why is this happening? And what can we do to fix it?

    Keep listening and find out!
    ___________

    What if Instead? is produced with generous support from:

    The Democratizing Innovation Institute

    Ever look around you and ask what if instead things worked differently?

    The institute takes what we used to think only innovators and entrepreneurs did, and makes it normal.

    We're on a mission to provide the tools, the space, and the connections to ask the question in practice—by taking part in an experiment in how things could work.

    Social Impact Lab BRACU

    Learn More About:

    One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution

    One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution on Spotify

    More From What If Instead?

    Diseconomies of Scale | Michael Shuman

    Mentorship & Collaboration: The Alignment That Changes The World | Evelina Van Mensel and Martin Nedev

    Talking To People Who Think Like Us Has Made Us Stagnant | Trevor Vaughn and Hunter Buffington

    A System for Unexpected Connections | David Garrison

    Why Building Communities with Fire-Resilient Standards is a Game Changer | Alister Watt
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    35 min
  • Why Building Communities with Fire-Resilient Standards Is a Game Changer

    Why Building Communities with Fire-Resilient Standards Is a Game Changer
    Aug 3 2026
    Building Resilience: Wildfire and Storm Mitigation Strategies with Alister Watt In this episode, we explore how communities and insurers can work together to create wildfire and storm-resilient buildings. Alistair Watt, Chief Product Officer at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), shares insights on innovative building standards, community collaboration, and the science-backed strategies to prepare for increasingly severe climate events.Key Topics: How the spacing and building material choices influence wildfire spread and community safetyThe success of the KB Home Wildfire Resilient Neighborhood Project in Escondido, CaliforniaThe role of policy, stakeholder engagement, and demonstration projects in accelerating resilient building practicesThe importance of science and data in guiding mitigation efforts and building codesChallenges and opportunities in adopting wildfire and hurricane mitigation across different regionsThe potential of insurance incentives and community-level interventions to scale resilience effortsInternational collaboration in wildfire and wind engineering research as a global effort Timestamps:00:00 - The emotional and physical shift before going live in performance or a public speaking event 00:50 - Personal approaches to handling pre-performance nerves: pacing vs. internalizing 01:59 - The importance of audience and peer feedback in performance confidence 02:28 - Out-of-head mindset and flow in storytelling and presentation 02:55 - Building resilience through innovative, standards-based construction for wildfire safety 04:28 - How homeowners and insurers should think about rebuilding after wildfires 05:30 - California wildfire landscape: spacing, materials, and community planning strategies 06:43 - Wildfire preparedness neighborhood programs and mitigation standards 07:57 - The significance of non-combustible zones and fire barriers in urban settings 08:45 - Community-wide wildfire mitigation practices and the role of local zoning laws 09:59 - The science behind wildfire behavior, ember transport, and mitigation measures 11:05 - Examples of older, historic buildings and how they can be adapted for fire safety 12:15 - The role of science and experiments in understanding wildfire vulnerabilities 13:22 - How demonstration projects like KB Home’s wildfire resilient neighborhood are changing perceptions 14:07 - The speed of institutional change and community buy-in to resilient building practices 15:06 - The importance of neighborhood models and external fuels management in wildfire protection 16:05 - How connective fuels and landscaping decisions influence fire spread at community level 17:09 - The KB Home wildfire resilient neighborhood project as a model for broader adoption 18:41 - The demonstration of resilience: building to standards that withstand wildfire 19:40 - The rapid deployment and success of wildfire resilient communities 21:24 - The importance of stakeholder alignment and quick action in mitigation efforts 22:14 - Strategies for replicating resilient building practices in other municipalities 23:52 - The role of regulation, incentives, and community engagement in scaling innovation 25:44 - How to foster a culture of proactive wildfire and storm preparedness 27:21 - The importance of legislation, grants, and insurance recognition in promoting resilient construction 28:54 - The economic and community benefits of initial investments in resilience 29:44 - The concept of wildfire mitigation as a social good, akin to “Bowling Alone” community engagement 30:41 - The impact of worsening climate conditions on risk perception and mitigation adoption 31:22 - Where market innovation and policy can align to accelerate climate resilience solutions 34:11 - Passive vs. active mitigation strategies for hurricanes and severe storms 35:49 - The science behind wind and water damage mitigation and the building standards involved 36:40 - Lessons from earthquake-prone regions like Japan and the importance of enforcement 37:35 - Addressing headwinds: complacency, cost, and institutional inertia in wildfire and storm preparedness 40:17 - Regional variations and the adaptation of mitigation practices in different parts of the U.S. 41:40 - State-level initiatives and legislative efforts to promote wind and wildfire mitigation 43:02 - How public awareness, demonstration projects, and insurance incentives can motivate community action 45:17 - The influence of risk pricing on insurance and building practices 46:44 - The value of international collaboration in wildfire and wind engineering research 48:15 - Final thoughts from Alistair Watt on the future of climate resilience and global knowledge sharingResources & Links: Mitigations That Matter - Science paper on wildfire mitigation strategiesIBHS - Building Resilience - Research and standards for resilient buildingsFortified Standard - Building standards for hurricanes and severe stormsRating the States - IBHS - ...
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    46 min
  • The Invisible Bridge Between Two Worlds | Antonio Castillo

    The Invisible Bridge Between Two Worlds | Antonio Castillo
    Mar 16 2026

    What if Instead? is produced with generous support from:

    The Democratizing Innovation Institute

    Ever look around you and ask what if instead things worked differently?

    The institute takes what we used to think only innovators and entrepreneurs did, and makes it normal.

    We're on a mission to provide the tools, the space, and the connections to ask the question in practice—by taking part in an experiment in how things could work.

    Social Impact Lab BRACU

    Learn More About:

    TEDx: The Problem with Your Cup of Coffee | Antonio Castillo

    Finca La Lechuza Coffee Roasters

    7 Jaguars Coffee

    Ceiba Coffee Solutions

    • Youtube
    • Instagram

    Lead the Change: The Bard MBA in Sustainability

    • Instagram
    • Facebook

    One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution

    Key Themes & Insights:

    The Invisible Bridge Between Worlds — Making the unseen connection between consumer and farmer visible as the foundation for structural change.

    Efficiency at Whose Cost? — Reframing the industry's optimization logic by asking who actually captures the gains and who bears the hidden costs.

    Storytelling as an Economic Tool — Treating narrative not as marketing but as a structural lever that shifts bargaining power back to producers.

    Courage as a Collective Practice — Showing that courage is built incrementally through community and iteration, not something you start with.

    The Value of Artisan Process — Arguing that craft and provenance aren't lifestyle preferences but the architecture of a different kind of economy.

    More From What If Instead?

    Diseconomies of Scale | Michael Shuman

    Mentorship & Collaboration: The Alignment That Changes The World | Evelina Van Mensel and Martin Nedev

    Talking To People Who Think Like Us Has Made Us Stagnant | Trevor Vaughn and Hunter Buffington

    A System for Unexpected Connections | David Garrison
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    58 min
  • A System for Unexpected Connections | David Garrison

    A System for Unexpected Connections | David Garrison
    Jan 15 2026

    Learn More About:

    Connect Networks

    One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution

    Climate & Capital Connect

    Climate & Capital Media

    Sponsors:

    Democratizing Innovation

    Social Impact Lab

    Key Themes & Insights:

    The Power of Intentional Networking: How treating connections as systems — not byproducts — changes the way people, ideas, and opportunities intersect.

    Mutual Value Over Transactions: Why thinking long-term and reciprocity-first can create more resilient and unexpected collaborations.

    Practical Frameworks for Connection: Actionable ideas for structuring your own Rolodex, calendar, or network flows to support discovery and innovation.

    Overcoming Scarcity Mindsets: Reframing the fear of “giving away your contacts” toward seeing shared connections as generative.

    More From What If Instead?

    Mentorship & Collaboration: The Alignment That Changes The World — Evelina Van Mensel & Martin Nedev

    Unlocking Potential Through Experiential Learning — Tomas Mora Selva & Huang Wei-Jou

    What If Philanthropy Got It Right? — Robert Osborne

    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    58 min
  • The Energy Transition: Not if, but When | Susan Hunt Stevens

    The Energy Transition: Not if, but When | Susan Hunt Stevens
    Jul 29 2025

    Key Takeaways/Calls to Action:

    • For Individuals: Actively experiment in your career to find genuine fulfillment. Consciously manage your "personal overhead" to maximize your agility and options. Consider how your time, talent, and resources can be directed toward solving pressing global challenges.
    • For Innovators & Entrepreneurs: Beyond celebrating disruption, take full accountability for the "second-order effects" and broader societal impacts of your innovations.
    • For Society & Policy Leaders: Proactively implement "hospice care" strategies to support individuals and communities affected by systemic transitions. Structure incentives and "bounties" to accelerate vital innovations, outcompeting entrenched, inferior old systems. Critically, understand that the energy transition is an inevitable "when," and global leadership will fall to those who embrace and invest in this future now.

    Suggested Resources

    • CIBO Technologies – Scaling regenerative incentives
    • XPRIZE (for Carbon Removal) – Innovation through competition
    • Spark Global – Climate innovation with a systems lens
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    45 min