Small & Gutsy: Nonprofit Stories with Heart cover art

Small & Gutsy: Nonprofit Stories with Heart

Small & Gutsy: Nonprofit Stories with Heart

Written by: Laura S. Wittcoff
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Small & Gutsy offers our listeners the opportunity to learn about the smaller, less known nonprofits and social impact organizations with revenues under $10 M. Our aim is to bring their stories to life, celebrate them, and further build their client, potential employee, volunteer, and funding networks. The goal of the Small & Gutsy podcast is to raise the visibility of this Big little social impact sector. Tune in as we interview a different organization so you can learn about them, maybe find a job, volunteer, or donate.© 2026 Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Small & Gutsy Features Hike to Yoga

    Small & Gutsy Features Hike to Yoga
    Jul 14 2026
    What if the path to healing wasn't a straight line, but a trail — one that combines the physical challenge of hiking with the mindful presence of yoga? That's the vision behind Hike to Yoga, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit blending guided hikes, nature-based yoga therapy, and community connection into what founder Laurie Hang calls a "mini urban retreat." Host Dr. Laura Scherck Wittcoff sits down with Laurie to explore how a self-described non-athletic, first-generation immigrant built a movement now approaching its 100th event — and why she believes self-care is world peace. Guest Laurie Hang, Founder & Executive Director, Hike to Yoga Laurie has been a certified yoga therapist since 2014. As the daughter of Chinese Vietnamese refugees, born in a refugee camp in the Philippines, she grew up with little access to the outdoors, sports, or peer community. After adopting the habit of stretching following daily dog walks in the Baldwin Hills/Culver City area, she noticed her body growing stronger — and a chance conversation with a neighbor led to the first Hike to Yoga program at the park. Founded in 2019, the organization has since grown by word of mouth to more than 100 events, with zero dollars spent on advertising. What is Hike to Yoga? Hike to Yoga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community initiative making mindful movement, nature connection, and holistic wellness accessible to all. Here's how a typical event works: Participants gather at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area (with occasional partner events at Franklin Canyon) every monthThe morning opens with a group circle where each person shares their name, where they're from, and their roots — a practice Laurie says helps people fully "arrive"The group hikes together, with mindful moments along the trail: listening to sounds, smelling native sage, learning about local plantsUpon reaching the hilltop, the group offers a land acknowledgment of the Gabrieleño/Tongva peopleYoga is practiced in a circle formation Laurie calls a "yoga wave," so participants can see and connect rather than facing a mirror or instructorNo yoga mat is required — a blanket or towel works fine — and modifications are offered for every ability level and ageRSVP and optional donations are handled through Eventbrite; no one is ever turned away Key Topics Covered Why hiking before yoga? Laurie explains that walking warms up the body organically — similar to the effect people seek from hot yoga, but without the discomfort of an artificially heated room. Getting the body moving first also helps quiet the mind before settling into stillness and breathwork. Yoga therapy vs. conventional studio yoga: Laurie draws a sharp distinction between commercialized, for-profit yoga studios — which she says often only teach the physical postures, not the deeper practice — and yoga therapy, which considers the whole person and adapts to individual needs. She notes that yoga was historically passed down one-on-one, not to rooms of 20 or 200 people, and stresses that the instructor's own state of mind directly affects what students receive in a class. Nature-based yoga therapy and accessibility research: Laurie presented her first research project at the International Association of Yoga Therapists symposium — a qualitative case study following a blind participant, Tony, who attended one of her hikes. His feedback that describing the surrounding colors and scenery (not just body alignment) would deepen his experience led Laurie to a guiding principle: designing an experience for a visually impaired person makes it more accessible for everyone. She distinguishes her approach from "forest bathing," describing it instead as actively engaging with nature as a participant, not a passive observer. Community, identity, and social justice Every May, Hike to Yoga partners with API-RISE, an organization supporting formerly incarcerated Asian American and Pacific Islander community members, bringing them onto the trail — many for the first time in decades. Laurie, herself a refugee and first-generation immigrant, sees this work as inseparable from social justice: "Yoga is a way to refine this tool... to help us be more clear and focused in our energy." Founder's journey and resilience: Laurie shared candidly that from 2022 to 2024, she took a 16-month hiatus from Hike to Yoga after feeling overextended during the pandemic years. Choosing to step back — rather than run the organization into the ground — allowed her to return in 2024 with renewed clarity. She connects this to her personal "Root to Rise" framework and the metaphor of transmutation: using what you've been through, including pain, to grow into something new, "like the lotus growing in mud." What's Next: Laurie hopes to expand into a second location and eventually relaunch a hike leader training and certification program. She's also interested in developing research and partnerships focused on connecting children — ...
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Small & Gutsy Features Renewables.org

    Small & Gutsy Features Renewables.org
    Jul 7 2026
    SHOW NOTES: What if your charitable dollars could come back to you — and you could send them right back out into the world to do even more good? That's the elegant premise behind Renewables.org, the first nonprofit that lets everyday people fund solar projects across India and the Global South for as little as $25, with monthly repayments over five years. Host Dr. Laura Scherck Wittcoff sits down with co-founder and CEO Lassor Feasley to explore how a background in product design, a failed for-profit startup, and a connection with Kiva.org co-founder Premal Shah led to one of the most innovative climate finance models in the nonprofit world. Guest Lassor Feasley, Co-Founder & CEO, Renewables.org Lassor is a product designer and entrepreneur trained at the School of Visual Arts Product Design program. He leads product, brand, and strategy at Renewables.org, channeling philanthropic capital into high-performing solar installations that expand energy access while reducing carbon emissions. What is Renewables.org? Renewables.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and Global South solar crowdfunding platform. Here is how it works: You purchase a solar panel for as little as $25Your funds are deployed into solar projects across the Global SouthYou receive monthly repayments over five yearsYou can reinvest those repayments into new solar projects or withdraw your fundsEvery panel is tracked on a personal rooftop dashboard where you can monitor repayments and your real-world impact Over 95% of repaid funds are reinvested back into Global South solar. Key Topics Covered Why the Global South? Solar costs approximately one-third as much to build in the Global South compared to the US or EuropeEach kilowatt-hour fed onto the grid avoids 2 to 3 times more carbon because those grids run heavily on coal and dieselProjects receive, on average, 20% more sunshine per yearThe result: Renewables.org estimates 550% more carbon impact per dollar compared to investing in US solar — a figure Lassor believes is actually conservative The financial model Renewables.org operates on a 0% interest loan model, similar to Kiva. Investors are made whole but do not earn a financial return. This structure avoids securities regulations while keeping the model sustainable. The spread between what Renewables.org borrows from investors at 0% and what it charges solar developers funds the organization's operating costs — meaning they do not plan ever to solicit donations for salaries or administration. The donor option Investors can also choose to make a tax-deductible donation into the fund. Donors receive the same dashboard experience and see their funds being repaid and redeployed, but the withdrawal option is removed. Renewables.org also accepts contributions from donor-advised funds, IRA minimum distributions, and offers employer matching compatibility. Design as a competitive advantage Lassor's background in product and UX design shaped every aspect of Renewables.org — from the financial model itself to the user interface and dashboard experience. He draws a parallel to how Instagram was built by tapping into a latent behavior Facebook users were already exhibiting, and applies the same thinking to the satisfaction people get from tracking their solar productivity. What's next Renewables.org is preparing a major software platform redesign, enabled in part by new AI coding tools. Upcoming features include the ability for climate influencers and fundraisers to open personal crowdfunding pages to rally their own communities around Global South solar. The long-term vision is to reach Kiva-scale — tens or hundreds of millions of dollars raised annually — and catalyze solar development across the Global South. How to Get Involved Invest: Purchase your first solar panel for as little as $25 at renewables.orgDonate: Make a tax-deductible donation through the Renewables donor account optionEmployer Match: Check if your employer matches charitable contributionsConnect with Lassor: Reach him at lassor@renewables.org or search "Lassor" on LinkedIn or Instagram Connect with Small & Gutsy Website: SmallandGutsy.org Email: Laura@SmallandGutsy.orgDo you know a nonprofit or social enterprise doing incredible work? Send them our way! If you are a nonprofit or want to donate goods directly to a nonprofit, check out Givelink: www.https://givelink.app/en?
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    55 mins
  • Small & Gutsy Features South Central LAMP

    Small & Gutsy Features South Central LAMP
    Jun 23 2026

    So many mothers — especially those from patriarchal cultures — are conditioned to believe that everyone else knows better. The doctor is right. The priest is right. The attorney is right. Everyone except them.

    South Central LAMP Executive Director Diana Z. Pinto is on a mission to change that. For over 30 years, her organization has been helping mothers in South Central Los Angeles find their voice, recognize their worth, and become the powerful advocates their children need them to be.

    Because when a mother knows her value, her whole family feels it.

    This is the kind of work that doesn't make headlines — but it changes generations.

    Check out the entire episode at SmallandGutsy.org.

    Check out their website: https://www.southcentrallamp.org/
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    1 hr and 11 mins
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