Beyond Heroics

Sruti Bharat and Bryant Black

Everyone constantly screams "systemic outcomes," but it's mostly hearsay, instead individual heroics are what actually keep programs alive in today's economy. What if in 25 years, life-changing programs are running at scale, not because any one person willed it into being, but because we made decisions that compound. Alignment of labor, policy, markets, and social good actors becoming the normal way to operate, not the exception.  Sruti Bharat and Bryant Black bring on leaders, experts, colleagues, change agents to discuss why this happens and how we can get beyond the heroics needed to get to real outcomes moving forward.

Episodes

  1. Oct 28

    Episode 4: Stacks of paper, rainy rooftops: What Global Health Can Teach About Evidence and Context

    In this episode of Beyond Heroics, hosts Sruti and Bryant engage with guests Jordan Levine and Lev Heller to discuss the challenges of implementing effective systems in international development and healthcare. They explore the disconnect between donor expectations and on-the-ground realities, emphasizing the need for contextually relevant data and community-driven indicators for success. The conversation explores the complexities of evaluating social programs, particularly in the context of global health and social services in the US. The participants discuss the challenges of using randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the importance of nuanced data analysis, and the need for a more community-centered approach to program evaluation. Takeaways Need for contextually relevant dataCommunity-driven indicators for success Importance of nuanced data analysisNeed for community-centered approaches Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Systemic Challenges03:02 Personal Stories of System Failures09:06 The Disconnect Between Donors and Practitioners12:00 Navigating Data Challenges in Evaluation18:12 Innovative Approaches to Measuring Impact23:46 Leveraging Existing Data for Better Insights26:34 Challenges of Randomized Controlled Trials29:04 Innovative Data Utilization30:58 Understanding Program Impact32:55 Reaching the Unreachable Population35:57 Global Health vs. Social Services41:39 Funding Dynamics and Sustainability44:58 Bridging Systems and Community Needs

  2. Oct 5

    Episode Three: How HD Chambers Helped Rewrite Texas Career Pathways

    In this conversation, HD Chambers discusses his extensive experience in education and the importance of aligning educational pathways with workforce demands. The discussion highlights the legislative journey of House Bill 5, which aimed to create more diverse opportunities for students beyond traditional four-year college pathways. The conversation focuses on the development and impact of a career center in A Leaf ISD, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and real-world learning experiences. It also addresses the challenges facing public education, including declining enrollment and the need for innovative solutions. Takeaways Importance of workforce readinessLegislative change in education Career center impactImportance of workforce education Chapters 00:00 Introduction to HD Chambers01:15 The Need for Workforce Opportunities04:34 House Bill 5: A Legislative Journey10:44 The Shift in Educational Focus14:50 Building Support for Change25:33 Creating Career Pathways in Education28:17 Building a Career Center30:04 Community Engagement and Design32:05 Real-World Learning Experiences34:12 Valuing All Types of Work38:36 Leadership and Vision in Education46:48 Challenges Facing Public Education

  3. Sep 18

    Episode Two: How Student Agency Becomes Infrastructure with Rebecca Agostino

    Rebecca Agostino joins Sruti Bharat and Bryant Black as their first guest to discuss the challenges of work-based learning and the need for scalable systems in education. She emphasizes the importance of student skill and agency as a tool for infrastructure and sustainability. The conversation also explores the biases and assumptions about students' capabilities and the need for a more agile and responsive workforce system. The conversation explores the challenges and opportunities in work-based learning, focusing on the role of small businesses and the potential of young people. It delves into the need for a shift in mindset and approach to empower students and create meaningful connections with employers. Takeaways Scalability through student skill and agencyChallenges of biases and assumptions in the workforce system Student capabilitySmall business engagement Chapters 00:00 The Challenge of Work-Based Learning03:15 The Need for Scalable Systems in Education06:08 Empowering Student Skill and Agency16:57 Addressing Biases and Assumptions25:06 Agility in the Workforce System26:24 Empowering Student Capability27:49 Challenges in Work-Based Learning31:02 Policy and Work-Based Learning36:00 Small Business Engagement47:27 Resilience and Potential of Young People

  4. Sep 3

    Episode one: Systems can work

    The conversation delves into the challenges of heroics in social impact, the influence of individualism on systems design, the need for efficiency and systematic support, the scalability of programs and collective impact, policy perspectives and cultural influence, differing state perspectives on labor and workforce, and the impact of unemployment and economic prosperity. Takeaways The need to move beyond heroics in social impactThe influence of individualism on systems design Chapters 00:00 The Challenge of Heroics in Social Impact02:17 Individualism and Systems Design05:33 Efficiency and Systematic Support08:05 Scalability of Programs and Collective Impact11:12 Policy Perspectives and Cultural Influence12:25 Differing State Perspectives on Labor and Workforce15:25 Unemployment and Economic Prosperity

  • 4 Episodes

About

Everyone constantly screams "systemic outcomes," but it's mostly hearsay, instead individual heroics are what actually keep programs alive in today's economy. What if in 25 years, life-changing programs are running at scale, not because any one person willed it into being, but because we made decisions that compound. Alignment of labor, policy, markets, and social good actors becoming the normal way to operate, not the exception.  Sruti Bharat and Bryant Black bring on leaders, experts, colleagues, change agents to discuss why this happens and how we can get beyond the heroics needed to get to real outcomes moving forward.

Information

  • Creator
    Sruti Bharat and Bryant Black
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sruti Bharat and Bryant Black
  • Show Website
    Beyond Heroics