Kroc Pod

Faith Beyond Borders: A Conversation with Bishop Pham

What does it take to lead with hope and heal communities in an era of intense political polarization? The Honorable Bishop Michael M. Pham - the first American bishop app

The Architecture of Silence: Resistance, Peace, and Digital Narratives in Myanmar

In this episode, Dr. Commins, Academic Director of the MS in Humanitarian Action program at the Kroc School, sits down with Khaing Yadanar Phyoe, a Kroc School alumna who

Make it Sexy: Creators, Disinformation and the Fight for Civic Trust

One in five U.S. adults now get their news from social media creators — and that number is even higher for people under 30. So what happens when those creators start doin

“Listen more, talk less" - Lorie Hearn's Journalism Journey

Investigative journalism doesn't just hold power accountable — it shapes the communities we live in. In this episode of Kroc Pod, we sit down with Lorie Hearn, one of San

Say Ciao Bella (and Bye Bye Plastic)

In this episode, we sit down with Sage Dobby to explore how innovative thinking can transform everyday products into powerful tools for environmental change. Sage is an e

From Doxxed to Determined: Turning Digital Harm Into Collective Action

In this episode, 2025 Kroc School Women Peacemakers Fellow Lilian Olivia Orero, a Gender and Technology Lawyer from Kenya, shares the experience that inspired her to foun

Living Between Lines: Transborder Commuters, Violence, and Belonging

In this episode, 2025 Kroc School Women Peacemakers Fellow Dr. Estefanía Castañeda Pérez, a professor at USC and lifelong transborder commuter, shares her research and li

From Prison to Purpose: Ryan Shipley on Reentry Done Right

We kick of Season 7 of the Kroc Pod with a blockbuster -- in this episode, Kroc School Alumni Ryan Shipley shares his transformative journey from incarceration to becomin

Wrongful Convictions: How Bias & Pressure Distort Justice

What happens when the system gets it wrong? In this episode, we dig into the haunting realities of wrongful convictions with Amanda Knox, one of the most well known exone

Gaia Wakes: When Earth Grows a Brain

What happens when Earth itself starts to wake up? In this episode, Kroc School Prof. Topher McDougal joins us to talk about his new book Gaia Wakes, where he explores the

Purpose and Profit: Reinventing Capitalism in San Diego

For our Season 6 premiere episode we examine what it really looks like when business leaders put people and planet before profit. In this episode, we dive into the rise o

Death Enters the Conversation

What does it mean to hold space at the edge of life? In this episode, we sit down with two experienced death doulas to explore how they guide individuals and families thr

Religion as Resistance: Feminist Theology Across Faiths

Explore Dr. Lailatul Fitriyah's journey through inter-religious education and feminist theology. Hear her insights on bridging Islam and Christianity, challenging stereot

38. Simple is Hard: A Technologist’s Journey from the Public Sector to Silicon Valley

In this episode, we explore how innovation can unlock solutions to complex social challenges, emphasizing the power of collaboration between NGOs, governments, and privat

37. A Dose of Hope: How to Open a Ketamine Clinic in Rwanda

In this powerful episode of Kroc Pod, Dr. Cindi Cassady—Kroc School alumna and clinical psychologist—reveals her groundbreaking work establishing Kigali's first ketamine

36. International Women's Day Special: Unsilenced -- Indigenous Women Redefining Power

What does justice look like when power, inequality, and environmental rights collide? Dayanna Gladys Palmar Uriana, a Violence, Inequality, and Power Fellow, joins us to

35. Amazing Amazigh: Peace and Feminism Through an Indigenous Lens

Dr. Bochra Laghssais, one of the 2024 Kroc Women Peacemaker Fellows, focuses her research on the adversities, vulnerabilities and agency of Amazigh Indigenous women in Mo

34. From Grief to Growth: Grassroots Community Healing

Temi Mwale, racial justice activist and founder of 4Front, shares her journey advocating for transformative justice as one of the Kroc School's 2024 Women Peacemaker Fell

33. Women in Peacemaking: Lessons Learned from Crocodiles and Icebergs

Dr. Mariia Levchenko, a 2024 Kroc School Women Peacemakers Fellow, takes us into the heart of conflict resolution in this riveting episode. Drawing from her groundbreakin

32. A Palestinian Citizen of Israel: Perspectives on Peacebuilding in Israel-Palestine

Dr. Fakhira Halloun is a distinguished Palestinian citizen of Israel and a prominent expert in conflict transformation, boasting over two decades of experience as both a