“Let’s Talk Impact” Podcast x Parsons the New School
Welcome to Let's Talk Impact, a podcast series hosted by Justyna Kedra and co-produced by The New School's Impact Entrepreneurship Initiative x WERULE. We bring together a diverse range of changemakers—government officials, entrepreneurs, activists, and local leaders—to explore the ever-evolving meaning of impactful work in today's world.
Beyond profit margins and ROI, our conversations delve into the motivations and journeys of those who are actively shaping a better future. Our podcast (according to Spotify Wrapped) was in the top 5% of most shared podcasts globally in 2023. Keep scrolling to learn about our amazing guests:
MISSION OF THE PODCAST
All the guests we feature on our podcast share the urge to make our planet a better place for us all. From Artis Stevens giving access to more role models though his role as the CEO of Big Brothers Bis Sisters of America, Ezinma touring with Beyonce while giving access to music lessons in underfunded communities, Yaseen Eldik supporting upcoming designers through launching Gucci Changemakers, Heesun Lho ensuring female founders are supported at The Tory Burch Foundation to Dr. Ramani Durvasula helping us achieve internal growth and heal from past toxic relationships. Impact can mean a million different things & we’re here to inspire you to find ways to make impact in your careers, businesses and lives.
If you’d like to pitch us, please email info@we-rule.com
E.48: ENZIMA
Meredith Ezinma Ramsay, professionally known as Ezinma [Eh-zeen-mah], is a film composer, violinist and advocate for music education. As a performer, Ramsay has worked with renowned artists including Beyonce, Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Khalid, Joshua Bell, Yo Yo Ma and Clean Bandit, to name a few. As a composer, Meredith scored the Oscar nominated documentary short, “Stranger At The Gate” (2022), HBO Sport’s three-part docuseries “Angel City” (2023), and more projects are set to release in 2024. Ramsay's music can be heard in numerous other projects including national advertisements for companies such as LG, Google, Lexus and Essentia Water. She has composed music for documentaries, short films, and was even part of the "Black Panther" (2018) soundtrack. In addition, Meredith is an advocate for music education. In 2021, she launched Strings By Heart— a youth development program in NYC for children K-5 committed to bringing quality music instruction, workshops, and outreach to children from underserved communities.
E.43: YASEEN ELDIK
Yaseen is an educator and diversity practitioner whose influence extends from public television to higher education to global luxury brands. Formerly a corporate attorney at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Yaseen now leads DE&I programs and initiatives with numerous organizations and companies. He is Co-Chair of the Gucci Changemakers Council, where he leads the company's effort to promote diversity in the fashion industry. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Thirteen, supporting the mission of public television. Yaseen is a graduate of Harvard Law School, where he worked on the Pan-Harvard LGBTQ Conference and received the David Westfall Memorial Award for Community Leadership for his work supporting community and diversity. Prior to law school, Yaseen studied at Stony Brook University, where he received the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, and worked in the Obama Administration's White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Yaseen is a video op-ed contributor to The New York Times Opinion section. His writings have appeared in The New York Times, The Stanford Journal of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the Harvard Negotiation Law Review Online, and the White House blog.
E.46: ARTIS STEVENS
Artis Stevens is the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, a leading youth mentoring organization. As the first Black CEO, he's focused on expanding mentorship programs and fundraising efforts. Under his leadership, BBBSA has achieved record-breaking donations and provided millions of mentorship opportunities. Previously, he worked at National 4-H Council and is a frequent speaker on media platforms.
Artis is a graduate of the University of Georgia and holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Valdosta State University. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He resides in Atlanta, GA, with his wife, Erica and daughters, Aubrey and Alyse actively engaging in community service."
Under his leadership, BBBSA achieved a record-breaking fundraising year in 2022, in part due to the largest-ever single donation in the organization’s history – $122.6 million from MacKenzie Scott. As a result, BBBSA provided millions of mentorship opportunities across 5,000 communities.
E.39: DR. RAMANI DURVASULA
Dr. Ramani Durvasula is a licensed clinical psychologist in Los Angeles, CA, Professor Emerita of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles, and the Founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training & Consulting, a company focused on educating individuals, clinicians and businesses/institutions on the impact of narcissistic personality styles. She received her BA from the University of Connecticut, and her MA and Ph.D. from UCLA, and completed her clinical training at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute.
She is an author of multiple books including It's Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People (February 2024), Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving A Relationship with a Narcissist, and "Don't You Know Who I Am?": How to Stay Sane in an Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility. Dr. Durvasula is a faculty member for the APA Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology, and a consulting editor for the journal Behavioral Medicine, and her academic research was focused on the impact of personality and personality disorders on health and behavior. She has spoken widely on the impact of narcissism on mental health, relationships and the workplace. She also operates a popular YouTube channel and podcast (Navigating Narcissism).
Dr. Durvasula has also developed an educational and certification program for clinicians working with clients experiencing the fallout of narcissistic relationships.
E.34: HEESUN LHO
Heesun has spent over 15 years in the entrepreneurship world as a founder, investor, and connector and is now supporting women entrepreneurs as the Director of Programs for the Tory Burch Foundation in New York. She additionally serves on the Board of Governors for the Center for Creative Leadership, a global nonprofit provider of human-centered leadership development and research, as well as the Board of Trustees at Elisabeth Morrow School in New Jersey.
Previously, Heesun was a Venture Partner with Republic, an equity crowdfunding platform with a mission of democratizing access to investing, and with 500 Global, an early-stage fund and seed accelerator with a global portfolio of over 2,600 companies. She is a former Co-Founder and CEO of Vengine, a recruiting platform for startups in Seoul, Korea and began her career as VP of Projects at YouNoodle, a San Francisco startup focused on large-scale entrepreneurship campaigns for global corporates and governments, including Start-Up Chile, Intel Challenge, and KoFounders Lab. She has also mentored and coached hundreds of early-stage startups over the years.
Heesun received her M.A. in Education and B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University, where she also served as Co-President of BASES (Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students). Heesun remains on the BASES Board of Advisors.