A media veteran shares his story

A media veteran shares his story

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Today’s episode emerged from a “chance” encounter that led to an authentic connection and eventually a podcast conversation. From his poignant investigative journalism at MTV, to his dynamic storytelling and cultural commentary across multiple media platforms, and his red-carpet interviews with chart-topping artists at the Grammys, Dometi Pongo’s lasting impact on the industry is clear. Today, we hear his story. In this thought-provoking dialogue, Dometi reflects on the many lessons learned in his life and career. He shares honestly about his winding career journey and the impact of those who reached out and grabbed him when he was at his lowest. He also talks about his present-day experiences as a media personality and the opportunities and challenges along the way. We consider the tension of looking for clicks and views, ongoing contentions around objectivity in the media, and the necessity of staying true to your calling. This is a refreshing episode touching on the power of authentic community and the importance of calling society to something greater. Listen in. You’re sure to be inspired.

Jamil Mahuad

Jamil Mahuad

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Jamil Mahuad, former President of Ecuador, joins for a fascinating conversation on leadership, instinct, and imagination. He opens up about the choice to go into politics, and his experiences negotiating a peace accord and navigating an economic “perfect storm.”

Impermanent Philanthropy: A new way to think about legacy with Santhosh Ramdoss

Impermanent Philanthropy: A new way to think about legacy with Santhosh Ramdoss

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What if the best thing a foundation could do was plan its own ending? In this episode of Future in Bloom, Steph Speirs sits down with Santhosh Ramdoss, President & CEO of Gary Community Ventures, to explore a radical idea that could reshape philanthropy: Impermanence.

By 2035, Gary will have spent every dollar of its assets in service of Colorado kids and families, which intentionally departs from how most foundations operate.

Santhosh shares the founding vision behind Gary’s sunset, why traditional endowments behave more like dams than rivers, and how his team is working to transform institutional wealth into community well-being. He also opens up about his own journey, what nature can teach all of us about letting go, and how to leave the world better than we found it.

Where Is God in Suffering? Spiritual Care, Mortality, and Meaning with Rev. Aaron Klink

Where Is God in Suffering? Spiritual Care, Mortality, and Meaning with Rev. Aaron Klink

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Yale Divinity School alum and hospice chaplain Reverend Aaron Klink discusses how spiritual care complements modern medicine, a near-death experience that transformed his understanding of mortality, and the enduring question of God’s presence in suffering.

https://divinity.yale.edu/news/2025-05-06-where-is-god-in-suffering-spiritual-care-mortality-and-meaning-with-hospice

Better Soil with Natural Carbon Removal: A Yale Geochemist Explains

Better Soil with Natural Carbon Removal: A Yale Geochemist Explains

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What if one of the most powerful climate solutions wasn’t something we needed to build, but something the Earth has been doing for billions of years?

In this episode, Steph Speirs sits down with Dr. Noah Planavsky, a geochemist at Yale University and one of the world’s experts on enhanced rock weathering. They explore how crushing silicate rocks like basalt and spreading them on farmland can accelerate a natural process that pulls CO₂ from the atmosphere and locks it in the ocean for thousands of years. All this both improves soil health and boosts crop yields.

Dr. Planavsky breaks down the science, explains why farmers already understand soil chemistry better than most academics, and makes the case that carbon removal should benefit the communities where it operates. He shares his choice to co-found two carbon removal companies and then walk away from any financial stake so he could advocate for transparency and sound science.

Do men really know how to connect?

Do men really know how to connect?

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This is another essential conversation that will transform lives. Carvens Lissaint and Dr. Maliek Blade join for a revealing discussion about manhood, connection, vulnerability and life-giving friendship. We ask the question, do we as men really know how to connect? Do we know how to effectively express, process and manage our emotions? In this episode, we reflect on what it means to be in deep relationship, and why so many of us avoid it as men. We delve into the tension that many men experience between “what you do” and “who you are.” You’ll hear honest personal stories, as we lean into the mixed bag that comes with success, accolades and notoriety. We don’t shy away from talking about the pain of isolation, why it’s so easy to slip into, and how to effectively move into the joy that comes from being in authentic community. If you’re a man or you care about the men in your life, this episode is for you!

The Addy Hour is recorded at the Yale Teaching Studios, with engineering support from Ryan McEvoy, edited by Orlando Suazo, and hosted by Dr. Nii Addy. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and follow our podcast page, to help us grow this podcast and our community.

The 200 People Who Control Your Electricity Bill

The 200 People Who Control Your Electricity Bill

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Charles Hua, founder of Powerlines and former US Department of Energy strategist, makes the case that America’s energy affordability crisis is a regulatory problem. With 80 million Americans struggling to pay their utility bills, and rates rising at the fastest pace in a generation, Charles points out the real power to control consumer prices resides with Public Utilities Commissioners, roughly 200 people he calls “The Supreme Court Justices of Energy.” This small group controls more than $200 billion a year in utility spending. This, all within a system designed almost a century ago.

Steph and Charles discuss why the grid runs at just 50% efficiency, how “capex bias” rewards utilities for building new infrastructure instead of optimizing what already exists, what the rise of data centers could mean for your power bill, and the inexpensive and solutions we could implement quickly if they get the greenlight from regulators. Whether you’re in climate tech, policy, or just nervous to open your electric bill lately, this episode will open up a world we don’t see or think about that often, happening behind every flip of a lightswitch.

Bulldog Days Live 2026

Bulldog Days Live 2026

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For their fourth annual Bulldog Days Live episode, Hannah and Mark ask four recently admitted students visiting campus to reflect on the factors and forces that affected their college application journey – including things they chose to do and things that were completely out of their control. Admissions officer Brynne dazzles the audience with her encyclopedic knowledge of what her admitted students shared in their applications. Hannah and Mark share many more insights from admitted students who considered how they were successful in their college application process.

Clean Energy Has to Outcompete Fossil Fuels (Not Cancel Them)

Clean Energy Has to Outcompete Fossil Fuels (Not Cancel Them)

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Aliya Haq has been involved in the environmental movement since she was eight years old, protesting an incinerator in her rural hometown. Over 25 years she’s led policy at Greenpeace, Breakthrough Energy, and now the Clean Economy Project. In this conversation, she tells Steph Speirs why the old playbook of “stop bad things” no longer meets the moment, and what it takes to actually build a clean economy fast enough to matter.

Aliya and Steph dig into the practical questions facing every climate tech founder and investor right now: Why does clean energy need policy to exist? How do permitting reform, transmission, and interconnection actually get unstuck? And how do companies navigate a moment where wealthy funders are backing away from climate, and federal policy feels like quicksand? It’s a candid and clearsighted conversation about what it means to shift from activist to builder–and why the economics of clean energy are already winning, if we let them.