• Can Business Strategies Successfully Address Community Challenges - Yes! with Drew Moser
    Feb 13 2026
    Drew Moser, CEO of The Lucky Duck Foundation, discusses how applying sound business principles with a bias for action, a focus on strategic collaborations, and the support of private philanthropy, can reduce homelessness and successfully address other community needs.

    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • When a "Losing" Campaign Just Might be a Win for Democracy with Kate Barr
    Feb 1 2026

    Kate Compton Barr is a trailblazing advocate for democracy who made waves as the 'Can't Win' candidate for the North Carolina State Senate in 2024. Her candidacy was never about winning. Instead, it was a platform to focus the community's conversation on the un-democratic effect of partisan gerrymandering. Kate's current campaign is equally unique. She is campaigning openly as a progressive running in the Republican primary for North Carolina's US House District 14 on a platform supporting fair maps that support democracy by reflecting the bipartisan demographics of her state.

    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • It Takes an Entire Community to Combat Homelessness with Roxanne Wilson
    Jan 19 2026

    As Director of Monterey County Homeless Services Program, Roxanne Wilson is a seasoned community leader with over a decade of dedicated service to housing justice and homelessness reduction. She leads the county's efforts to integrate policy, planning, and partnerships across governmental and nonprofit sectors by overseeing strategic initiatives and homeless response systems.

    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Inspiring Optimism as a Vision for the Future with Bill Burke
    Jan 5 2026
    SideBar: Optimism in Action podcast, a collaboration of KAZU 90.3 and Monterey College of Law, welcomes Bill Burke, founder of The Optimism Institute and host of Blue Sky podcast. Burke transitioned to promoting optimism in 2022 after an extensive media and sports career as an executive, writer, and producer. Bill is a lifelong optimist and launched The Optimism Institute with a mission to inspire people with an optimistic, hopeful vision of the world and its future.
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • Designing the Future of Higher Education with Kathleen deLaski
    Dec 15 2025

    Kathleen deLaski is at the forefront of designing higher education for the 21st century. She founded Education Design Lab to help colleges begin the journey to reimagine higher education toward the future of work and she manages the deLaski Family Foundation, a 25-year grant maker in education reform. In her book, Who Needs College Anymore: Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter, Kathleen describes a multiple educational pathways through the learners lifecycle to help them find success.

    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Supporting Seeds of Change through Local Philanthropy with Bradley Zeve
    Dec 1 2025
    Back in 2000, Bradley Zeve and the Monterey County Weekly decided to leverage its media resources to create a new program to support the local nonprofit community with both editorial coverage and philanthropy. This initial philanthropic endeavor has developed into the community-wide Monterey County Gives! campaign that has raised and donated more than $82 million to approximately 500 local nonprofits in Monterey County. This year's campaign runs through December 31, 2025.

    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • Protecting our Oceans and our Future with Aimee David
    Nov 17 2025

    The Monterey Bay Aquarium coordinates initiatives in California to establish the nation’s first statewide network of marine protected areas, prohibit the trade of shark fin products, ban plastic grocery bags and defend against expanded offshore oil and gas drilling. Aimee's team advocates for the sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture around the world, to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean, and to take action on climate change.

    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • Compassion for Families Facing End-of-Life with Monica Ojcius
    Nov 3 2025
    Community Hospice & Health Services provides end-of-life care with compassion and dignity, and is still evolving to add to the continuum of care that people need by investing in programs that support community members in critical and meaningful ways. Monica Ojcius, Director of Strategic Development, discusses serving more than 2,500 patients and families each year providing hospice and palliative care for adults and pediatrics, and outpatient mental health counseling for adults and children.
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins