Catalyze

Morehead-Cain
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This is Catalyze, a podcast from the Morehead-Cain Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Inspired by our namesake chemist benefactors, Catalyze reflects the energy of transformation, action, and momentum. Each episode features conversations with Morehead-Cain Alumni and Scholars who are shaping their communities, industries, and the world. From formative moments at Carolina to career pivots, leadership philosophies, and personal values, we explore the stories behind the people who lead with character and purpose.

  1. Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Prince Rivers ’28 on Civic Collaboration with Milwaukee’s Alive Foundation

    3D AGO

    Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Prince Rivers ’28 on Civic Collaboration with Milwaukee’s Alive Foundation

    Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a miniseries by the Catalyze podcast that explores the transformative summers of the Morehead-Cain Program. In the Civic Collaboration summer, teams of scholars embed themselves in cities across North America to investigate community challenges, work alongside local partners, and propose solutions grounded in real needs. In this episode, host Aadya Gattu ’28 of the Scholar Media Team sits down with Prince Rivers ’28 about his summer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Working with MKE Fellows, Prince and his team tackled the challenge of expanding access to higher education for underserved communities.  Their conversation explores how the team navigated ambiguity in their project, learned to live and work together in a new city, and discovered Milwaukee’s culture along the way, including memorable moments at local music festivals. Prince reflects on the importance of human-centered design, the value of community partnership, and what it means to propose real solutions to complex problems.  Music credits The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.  How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcastsor Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

    18 min
  2. SEVEN Talk by Tonya Turner Carroll ’89: ‘Cracking the Code’

    5D AGO

    SEVEN Talk by Tonya Turner Carroll ’89: ‘Cracking the Code’

    Tonya Turner Carroll ’89 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. Tonya is the owner and curator of Turner Carroll Gallery and Art Advisory.  About SEVEN Talks Every class of Morehead-Cain Scholars connects with seven others: the three classes ahead, its own, and the three that follow. The idea of SEVEN is to strengthen connections across generations of Morehead-Cains. The Alumni Forum embodies this spirit through SEVEN Talks—seven alumni and scholars on Saturday, and seven more on Sunday—each sharing seven minutes of wisdom with the Morehead-Cain community. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

    11 min
  3. Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Kori Billingslea ’29 on Outdoor Leadership in Wyoming’s Wind River Range

    FEB 3

    Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Kori Billingslea ’29 on Outdoor Leadership in Wyoming’s Wind River Range

    Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a miniseries by the Catalyze podcast that explores the transformative summers of the Morehead-Cain Program. In the Outdoor Leadership summer, scholars spend several weeks in the North American wilderness on a leadership course that tests their limits and inspires self-discovery.  In this episode, host Ali Slack ’28 from the Scholar Media Team sits down with first-year Kori Billingslea ’29 to reflect on her Outdoor Leadership experience in Wyoming. Fresh from the trail and adjusting to college life, Kori shares what it was like to spend a month unplugged from technology, pushing through physical and mental challenges, and discovering unexpected strengths in the backcountry.  From breaking camp at dawn to navigating group dynamics under pressure, Kori shares about stepping outside your comfort zone and the lessons that follow you long after you’ve left the wilderness.  Music credits The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.  How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcastsor Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

    24 min
  4. SEVEN Talk by J.B. Howard ’85: ‘Life, examined’

    FEB 1

    SEVEN Talk by J.B. Howard ’85: ‘Life, examined’

    J.B. Howard ’85 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. J.B. is a freelance lawyer and former counsel at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP.  About SEVEN Talks Every class of Morehead-Cain Scholars connects with seven others: the three classes ahead, its own, and the three that follow. The idea of SEVEN is to strengthen connections across generations of Morehead-Cains. The Alumni Forum embodies this spirit through SEVEN Talks—seven alumni and scholars on Saturday, and seven more on Sunday—each sharing seven minutes of wisdom with the Morehead-Cain community. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

    11 min
  5. SEVEN Talk by Steve Toben ’78: ‘Setbacks and Advances’

    JAN 25

    SEVEN Talk by Steve Toben ’78: ‘Setbacks and Advances’

    Steve Toben ’78 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. Steve is the principal at Toben Consulting, an advisory service for donors and family foundations.  About SEVEN Talks Every class of Morehead-Cain Scholars connects with seven others: the three classes ahead, its own, and the three that follow. The idea of SEVEN is to strengthen connections across generations of Morehead-Cains. The Alumni Forum embodies this spirit through SEVEN Talks—seven alumni and scholars on Saturday, and seven more on Sunday—each sharing seven minutes of wisdom with the Morehead-Cain community. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

    9 min
  6. Chief Magistrate Judge Karen Stevenson ’79: ‘Let us meet this moment with courage’

    JAN 19

    Chief Magistrate Judge Karen Stevenson ’79: ‘Let us meet this moment with courage’

    Who is on the horizon? At the 2025 Alumni Forum, Chief Magistrate Judge Karen Stevenson ’79 challenged the more than 700 attendees not to look for heroes to enact change.  “Nobody’s coming. We’re it. All of us are it,” the alumna said at the Mazzocchi Alumni Dinner in Chapel Hill on October 18, 2025.  Speaking from her experience on the federal bench in Los Angeles, Karen shared her thoughts on current challenges facing American institutions, connected them to historical struggles for civil rights, and issued a direct challenge: the responsibility to build a more perfect union falls on each of us. She called on the Morehead-Cain community to lead with courage, kindness, and generosity.  “I dare to say no one is coming to extricate us from this existential moment,” the judge said. “This one is on us to lead, to act with integrity, to care for our neighbors, to move with compassion in the world, and take right action.” Watch the keynote address on Morehead-Cain’s YouTube channel. Karen is a member of the first class of women Morehead-Cain Scholars. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and co-author of Rutter Group Practice Guide: Federal Civil Procedure Before Trial.  The judge was honored at the 2024 Morehead-Cain Black Alumni Reunionin Chapel Hill, alongside the first Black graduate of the Program, Harvey Kennedy ’74. Karen and Harvey were also honored at the Forum by the unveiling of a commissioned portrait of the pair on October 17, 2025. The painting, by Durham-based artist William Paul Thomas, is on display at the Morehead-Cain Foundation.

    21 min
  7. SEVEN Talk by Godspower Mercy Lawal ’25: ‘Held by Giants’

    JAN 18

    SEVEN Talk by Godspower Mercy Lawal ’25: ‘Held by Giants’

    Godspower Mercy Lawal ’25 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 18. Mercy is the founder and past president of the African Students Association.  About SEVEN Talks Every class of Morehead-Cain Scholars connects with seven others: the three classes ahead, its own, and the three that follow. The idea of SEVEN is to strengthen connections across generations of Morehead-Cains. The Alumni Forum embodies this spirit through SEVEN Talks—seven alumni and scholars on Saturday, and seven more on Sunday—each sharing seven minutes of wisdom with the Morehead-Cain community. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

    11 min
  8. SEVEN Talk by Noam Argov ’15: ‘Side Quests and B Plots’

    JAN 11

    SEVEN Talk by Noam Argov ’15: ‘Side Quests and B Plots’

    Noam Argov ’15 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 18. Noam is a writer, director, and producer with Bright Panic Pictures and an MFA candidate at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.  About SEVEN Talks Every class of Morehead-Cain Scholars connects with seven others: the three classes ahead, its own, and the three that follow. The idea of SEVEN is to strengthen connections across generations of Morehead-Cains. The Alumni Forum embodies this spirit through SEVEN Talks—seven alumni and scholars on Saturday, and seven more on Sunday—each sharing seven minutes of wisdom with the Morehead-Cain community. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

    10 min
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5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

This is Catalyze, a podcast from the Morehead-Cain Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Inspired by our namesake chemist benefactors, Catalyze reflects the energy of transformation, action, and momentum. Each episode features conversations with Morehead-Cain Alumni and Scholars who are shaping their communities, industries, and the world. From formative moments at Carolina to career pivots, leadership philosophies, and personal values, we explore the stories behind the people who lead with character and purpose.

Information

  • Creator
    Morehead-Cain
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    139
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Catalyze