Hosted by Bill Burke, founder of The Optimism Institute, this weekly podcast will feature inspiring leaders, authors, researchers, and big thinkers who... more
Pete Davis was a young undergraduate college student when he took a class from Professor Robert Putnam. By this time,... more
On the “Well…Adjusting” podcast, author, actor, and funny lady Robin Hopkins is joined each episode by people who are struggling... more
Note for this encore presentation: At the time that we celebrated our one year/50th episode in March of 2024, this... more
Nearly 45 years ago, Billy Starr lost his mother, an uncle, and a cousin, all to cancer. Looking for a... more
Squash – the game, not the vegetable – has long been seen as a “country club” sport. But Barrett Takesian... more
Daniel Stone explains that today’s politically-polarized environment began taking shape way back in the 1980’s. Today, he says, we have... more
One of our most popular episodes of 2023 is back, with this encore presentation, just in time for Earth Day! Dan... more
Marko Cheseto left his home in Kenya to travel all the way to, of all places, Anchorage, Alaska, where he... more
Nathalie Laidler-Kylander has a long and distinguished career working in the non-profit, social entrepreneurship and international development sectors. Since 2021... more
This episode is a master class on sticking with it, no matter what. From our friend Dan Harris on the... more
One of our most popular – and powerful episodes of 2023 is back, with this encore presentation. In the Blue Sky... more
Gill Hasson has a wide range of interests and areas of study, exemplified by the fact that she has authored... more
For the 50th episode of Blue Sky, Bill is joined by someone who has completed more than 400 of them. ... more
Alison Jones Webb has spent her career studying and working in the public health sector. Several years ago, a combination... more
In this episode, Bert describes how he and his brother grew from a challenging upbringing to create Life is Good,... more
Chris Anderson was inspired by the growth of TED once they expanded from being simply a conference company to adding... more
Dr. Kenneth (Ken) Harris is an experienced practitioner of holistic medicine and author of the book, Synchronicity. In this Blue... more
When Ilze Thielmann learned of the steady stream of refugees and asylum seekers entering New York City, she felt compelled... more
The life of Jonathan Conyers is full of junctures where it appears he’s not going to make it. Both of... more
KM DiColandrea says he works with young people because he can’t imagine doing anything else. In high school, he developed... more
Sara Guillermo’s family immigrated to the United States when she was a small child. She grew up with an appreciation... more
The family of Anh Vu Sawyer were among the small number of South Vietnamese who successfully fled Saigon in the... more
In the late 1990’s, John Wood was living a great life. As a senior executive at Microsoft, his job took him... more
David Bornstein has a long history in journalism and founded the Solutions Journalism Network out of his belief that... more
Matt Ridley’s seminal book, The Rational Optimist, has inspired many since its publication in 2010 and greatly influenced the creation... more
In her new book, The Power of a Few Kind Words, author Tracey Gates tells the story of how she... more
Ritah Kabanyoro knows what it’s like to go to bed hungry. Growing up in a household of 20 people, she... more
Kevin Adler grew up with a beloved uncle, Mark, who never forgot to send him a Hallmark card on his... more
Dr. Howard Koh’s story is inspiring. His immigrant parents raised him to be grateful for and contribute to their adopted... more
Adam Mastroianni says he likes to “study how people perceive and misperceive their social worlds, from the person sitting across... more
LaTosha Brown has been described by many as a “force of nature,” and from the first seconds of this Blue... more
Dr. Anita Nowak has made the study of empathy her life’s work and in this Blue Sky conversation she provides... more
Margo Walsh is an entrepreneur who created MaineWorks, a certified B-Corp that helps people with substance use disorder and/or criminal... more
Sean Legister was raised by a strong single mom who put a premium on his education and set him up... more
Today’s Blue Sky guest tells her story from the coast of Maine, but the work she’s doing was inspired by... more
The life of Jonathan Conyers is full of junctures where it appears he’s not going to make it. Both of... more
Dr. Robert Soiffer took an interest in medicine at an early age when he played a physician in his first-grade... more
Following a challenging childhood and the tragic death of her father, Kathryn Goetzke decided that the best way to tackle... more
Elizabeth Cousens grew up with an insatiable curiosity about world events. This early interest has led to a remarkable career... more
Alan Patricof began his career in venture capital before the industry even had that name. Since 1969, he’s been seeking... more
When Eddie Ndopu was two years old, his mother was told he wouldn’t likely live past five. Now in his... more
In this wide-ranging conversation, renowned author and professor Steven Pinker describes that while he resists being called an “optimist,” as... more
In this very special episode of Blue Sky, Steve D. tells the remarkable story of his struggle against his son’s... more
Vanessa Cooksey has held a variety of roles at a wide range of organizations — from Cartoon Network to Wells... more
Dan Reicher’s interest in and advocacy for environmental protection and clean energy began when he was a child and has... more
During her upbringing in Mumbai, India, Jeroo Billimoria’s parents taught her to take an active interest in the welfare of... more
Like most neuroscientists, until a little more than thirty years ago, Dr. Richard “Richie'' researched and studied things that go... more
One of the biggest complaints people have about their job is the lack of feedback they receive, both positive and... more
Charles Kenny brings to this episode a great depth of knowledge of progress being made around the world and supports... more
Virginia Gleason has spent her career working on improving law enforcement and public safety. She comes to this work not... more
After studying and working on public health issues, both in Lebanon and the United States, Teresa Chahine wanted to move... more
Growing up in New York with a particular interest in “the dark side” of human nature, Oren Segal has channeled... more
Dominique Wright describes a childhood of “humble beginnings,” complete with a series of forced moves and an eviction. But she... more
The legendary Kevin Kelly shares his optimistic views on technology and our collective future. As someone who was building online... more
Following his early years as a musician and chasing dreams of becoming “the next John Mayer,” Tim Schurrer went on... more
John Valverde describes the impactful work of the organization he leads, YouthBuild USA, and also shares his own inspiring story of... more
Rob Watson talks about how he emerged from a challenged school system in New York, graduated from Harvard College, served... more
David Novak has had a remarkably successful career and one that was defined by his boundless enthusiasm and contagious sense... more
Jeff Korzenik, the chief economist at a major US bank, explains how predicting a labor shortage in the US led... more
In this episode, Bert describes how he and his brother grew from a challenging upbringing to create Life is Good,... more
John Valverde describes the impactful work of the organization he leads, YouthBuild USA, and also shares his own inspiring story of persevering through... more