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Join host and award-winning author Ted Vaughn as he uncovers bold strategies and best practices from top nonprofits and social-impact businesses. Hear personal stories and hot takes from inspiring guests navigating the path to a more innovative and impactful future for nonprofit organizations.
Recent Episodes
Aug. 18, 2026
Nathan Chappell on Nonprofit AI: Implementing Artificial Intelligence for Social Good
“We have agency in this. AI is a mirror to humanity. And I think that becomes a moral imperative to push our way to the front of that mirror.” – Nathan Chappell Have you been avoiding addressing AI in your nonprofit out of fear, uncertainty, or lack of expertise? Nathan Chappell would say you’re not alone. But he does have good news: Nathan is the Chief AI Officer at Virtuous, and he studies how we can use AI to advance mission-driven organizations. Recently, he determined that nonprofits
July 30, 2026
Jessica Jackley on How to Embrace Tension as a Leader & Build an Unforgettable Organization
“You should ask yourself first, what truly, like in your bones, do you actually value and what do you really wanna get done in the world?” –Jessica Jackley Jessica Jackley’s answer to this question has always been the same: To help people. But she never guessed she’d do it as an entrepreneur. Jessica once believed that business was nothing but greed and manipulation. But then something funny happened: Entrepreneurs kept proving that capital could be used for good. So she listened—to talks fro
June 3, 2026
Melissa Russell on Scaling Innovation, Culture, & Team Alignment (charity: water)
“When you make the transition from operator to leader, you have to be intentional about how you’re defining success.”—Melissa Russell What does it actually take to scale a nonprofit without losing culture or clarity along the way? There’s no one better to show us the way than Melissa Russell. Melissa carries a wealth of nonprofit leadership experience as the current President of charity: water and former President of International Justice Mission (IJM), where she’s strengthened clarity and
May 7, 2026
PART 2 | Ben Webb on the Most Effective Approach to Nonprofit Marketing (International Justice Mission)
“Much of what I've encountered throughout my career is people building a campaign to keep the organization happy versus meeting a clear, objective goal.” –Ben Webb (Did you miss Part 1? You can find it here.) Which department is accountable for a nonprofit’s revenue? If you said fundraising, you’d be with the majority. But according to Ben Webb, CMO of International Justice Mission (IJM), you’d only be partly right. Ben believes that when we view marketing as a revenue partner, marketing b
April 1, 2026
PART 1 | Ben Webb on Leading Without Losing the Mission (International Justice Mission)
“There's a child in front of a webcam right now getting abused. If I'm just working towards my own sense of identity, I'm putting more emphasis on me than I am them.” –Ben Webb As a leader, facing distractions is part of the job. Ben Webb, CMO of International Justice Mission (IJM), is committed to finding what he calls “sandcastles” in leadership—the areas we put our energy that just wash away without moving us closer to the ultimate outcome. Through his approach to marketing, he’s helping b
March 18, 2026
Battling Burnout Through Life-Affirming Systems (Rachel Currie Triska, VolunteerNow)
“If you have one person in burnout, you can't address it by dealing directly with the symptoms of that person. It's the system that's making people burnout, not individuals.” Rachel Currie Triska learned the hard way that driving at full speed eventually burns out the engine. As a CEO, founder, and social change leader, Rachel’s default is high performance. But when burnout brought collapse, she was forced to build a new system: one where restoration is a prerequisite to performance. At Vo
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About the Host
Ted Vaughn
Podcast host, Entrepreneur , Author, & Speaker
Co-author of Culture Built My Brand and co-founder of Historic Agency, Ted leads client transformation at Historic. With more than 25 years of nonprofit experience, Ted specializes in executive leadership, brand development, organizational health, and strategic clarity. Ted has spent the majority of his career serving a wide variety of for-profit and nonprofit brands.