The SALA Series Podcast

SALA Series
  • 4.9 (119)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Semiweekly

Welcome to the SALA Series Podcast – bringing together purpose-driven leaders and ideas that matter. Hosted by Dalen Cuff and Monica McNutt, SALA celebrates diverse voices and highlights a commitment to community and individuals who are driving positive change across the interrelated worlds of sports, entertainment, corporate and nonprofit.

  1. Sep 10

    Jennifer Sirangelo | The Power of Service and Civic Engagement

    As President and CEO of Points of Light, Jennifer Sirangelo has spent her career making the case that service is more than generosity—it is a way to build stronger communities, deepen civic connection, and create purpose. From Boys & Girls Clubs to the National 4-H Council and now Points of Light, she has championed the idea that people who take responsibility for their communities can help strengthen our country more broadly. At Points of Light, Sirangelo has set ambitious goals to expand volunteerism, increase the number of people engaged in service, and make it easier for people of all backgrounds and generations to participate. Her vision reflects a larger belief: that a stronger culture of service is an investment in the civic health of our country—and a way to bring people together at a time when so much is pulling us apart. In this episode of the SALA Series, host Basil Smikle sits down with Sirangelo to explore how volunteerism can combat loneliness, rebuild civic trust, and bridge political and social divides. They discuss empowering the next generation of leaders, the role of service in creating belonging, and why meaningful opportunities to contribute can renew our connections to one another and our communities. At its heart, the conversation is about what happens when people move from being observers of their communities to participants in them—and how those individual acts of service can become a powerful force for a more connected, engaged, and resilient country.

  2. Sep 8

    Fatherhood | David Shapiro on Purpose, Mentorship, and Raising Resilient Kids

    For decades, David Shapiro has built his career around a simple idea: young people thrive when the adults around them show up, invest in them, and build relationships that last. As former President and CEO of MENTOR and now CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston, he has made that commitment not simply a profession, but a way of leading and living. In this episode of Fatherhood, Gordon LaForge sits down with Shapiro to explore the lessons his own journey offers about fatherhood, leadership, and purpose. They discuss modern masculinity, the power of vulnerability, mentoring boys, the pressures of youth sports, and the temptation to optimize every aspect of childhood. Shapiro shares his philosophy of choosing connection over convenience, allowing children to experience adversity, and walking alongside young people rather than trying to solve every problem for them.But the conversation also offers a broader lesson about purpose-driven leadership. Shapiro's career is a model of what can happen when we choose to invest our time and talents in others—and inspire others to make the same commitment. The reward isn't simply the difference we make for those we serve; it is the fulfillment, growth, and sense of belonging that come from building meaningful relationships and contributing to the well-being of others.At its heart, this is a conversation about what we owe the next generation—and how a life devoted to helping others grow can, in turn, help us grow ourselves.

    Fatherhood | David Shapiro on Purpose, Mentorship, and Raising Resilient Kids

  3. Sep 3

    Dorsey Hopson | Reimagining Public Education Through Leadership and Opportunity

    Throughout his career, Dorsey Hopson has led at the intersection of public service, education, and systems transformation.  As the former Superintendent of Shelby County Schools, he guided one of the nation's largest urban school districts through a historic merger while confronting the interrelated challenges of race, poverty, governance, and educational equity.   Today, as a Partner at City Fund, he works with civic leaders, educators, and philanthropists to expand access to high-quality public schools and improve outcomes for students across the country.In this episode of the SALA Series, host Basil Smikle sits with Hopson to explore what effective leadership looks like when the systems we have inherited may no longer be delivering the results young people need.  They discuss building trust, casting a compelling vision, empowering families with meaningful educational choices, and asking a fundamental question: just because we have always done something a certain way, does that mean it is the best way to do it?Hopson brings a unique perspective to that question.   After years working within the traditional system, he is now helping build and support new models of public education—approaches that challenge assumptions, test what works, and seek better outcomes for students.  From literacy and workforce readiness to family engagement and school leadership, the conversation explores how we can rethink the way we invest in young people and build an education system better suited to their future. At its heart, this is a conversation about our responsibility to the next generation—and the obligation to keep questioning, experimenting, and improving until we build an educational system worthy of their potential.

  4. Aug 27

    Peter de Menocal | The Ocean, the Future, and the Responsibility to Know

    What can the ocean—and Earth’s deep history preserved beneath it—teach us about the future? In this conversation, Peter de Menocal, President and Director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, sits down with guest host Basil Smikle explores the intersection of science, climate, leadership, and human possibility. A marine geologist and paleoclimatologist, de Menocal has spent his career reading ocean sediments as archives of climate history, using the past to better understand the forces shaping our future. But his story is about more than science. From an unexpected encounter with an oceanographer as a college student, to his leadership at Columbia and the founding of its Center for Climate & Life, de Menocal has built a career around turning curiosity into knowledge—and knowledge into action. The conversation explores how scientists can help society navigate challenges that are increasingly interconnected—from climate change and food and water security to the health of our oceans and communities—and what responsibility institutions have to put knowledge in service of the public good.At its heart, this is a conversation about curiosity, stewardship, and our responsibility to understand the world well enough to help shape what comes next.

  5. Aug 20

    Fatherhood | David Fajgenbaum on Purpose and Living in Overtime

    After surviving multiple near-death experiences from Castleman disease, Dr. David Fajgenbaum emerged with a profoundly different perspective on life—and on what it means to make the most of the time we are given. A physician-scientist, founder of Every Cure, and relentless advocate for drug repurposing, David has devoted his life to turning personal adversity into purpose. But his most important role exists beyond the laboratory and the public stage: being a father. In this conversation with Gordon LaForge, David reflects on how facing mortality has shaped the way he thinks about fatherhood, family, ambition, and presence. He shares what his children have taught him about perspective, how the experience of illness changed his definition of success, and why living with an awareness that time is finite can make us more intentional with the people who matter most.It is a conversation about purpose—not simply as something we pursue, but as something we model for our children. About resilience without romanticizing hardship. And about the responsibility to use the time we have, however much or little it may be, to make a difference.

    Fatherhood | David Fajgenbaum on Purpose and Living in Overtime

  6. Aug 14

    Marika Anthony-Shaw on Music, Community, and the Power of Collective Action

    As a former member of Arcade Fire and CEO of Plus1, Marika Anthony-Shaw has spent her career exploring music’s power to bring people together and inspire action. From performing on the world’s biggest stages to directing millions of dollars toward grassroots organizations, she has built a career around a powerful belief: when people come together with purpose, they can create meaningful change. In this episode, Marika reflects on her journey from classical musician to social entrepreneur—and the experiences that reshaped her understanding of leadership, philanthropy, and community. She shares lessons from touring with Arcade Fire, working alongside Dr. Paul Farmer, and founding Plus1, while exploring why artists are uniquely positioned to drive social impact, how trust-based philanthropy can empower local organizations, and why culture remains such a powerful force for change. Marika’s unique journey offers compelling insights into the importance of building relationships before seeking results, particularly in an increasingly fragmented world, and the extraordinary potential of shared experiences to move people beyond awareness toward action. At its heart, the conversation explores what becomes possible when music, community, and purpose come together.

  7. Aug 7

    Fatherhood | Luis Miranda on Life, Family, and Service

    Best known as a political strategist, community leader, and the father of award-winning playwright and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, Luis A. Miranda Jr. has spent a lifetime building bridges, expanding opportunity, and serving others. At the heart of that story is something even more enduring: fatherhood.In the inaugural episode of Fatherhood, host Gordon LaForge sits down with Luis Miranda for a deeply personal conversation about the values that shaped his family and the lessons he learned raising children grounded in confidence, compassion, and a strong sense of identity. From his journey from Puerto Rico to New York City to the everyday choices that define parenting, Miranda reflects on the importance of being present, honoring culture and heritage, and leading by example through both triumphs and setbacks. More than a conversation about raising successful children, this episode explores how fathers shape character, inspire purpose, and nurture a deep sense of belonging. Through stories of family, service, and resilience, Miranda reflects on the quiet, daily choices that shape a child's confidence, character, and sense of purpose.

    Fatherhood | Luis Miranda on Life, Family, and Service

  8. Aug 4

    Fatherhood - Series Trailer

    SALA Series present its new Podcast "Fatherhood" hosted by Gordon LaForge In the 20th century, if you asked someone to picture the typical American father, they would probably describe a man with a briefcase, a face behind a newspaper. His job was to put food on the table and keep discipline in the home. He might play catch on Saturdays, but he didn't know the pediatrician's name, and he never changed a diaper. At his best, he was Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. Noble, principled, kind, yet distant. But things are different today. Fathers are spending more time on childcare and housework than ever before. The number of stay-at-home dads has doubled in the last 30 years. Fathers are still providers and protectors, but they are also coaches and teachers, caregivers and nurturers. But while the reality in our living rooms has shifted, our cultural imagination is still catching up.  To understand fatherhood is to understand the crisis of masculinity in our politics. It's to grapple with the falling behind of boys in education, the rewiring of childhood by social media, and the policy debates over work and childcare that are defining our economy. On the Fatherhood Podcast, we'll be speaking with experts, leaders, and plain old dads to understand the forces defining us and to ask what it means to be a father in a world that's changing faster than we can keep up.

    Fatherhood - Series Trailer
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4.9
out of 5
119 Ratings

About

Welcome to the SALA Series Podcast – bringing together purpose-driven leaders and ideas that matter. Hosted by Dalen Cuff and Monica McNutt, SALA celebrates diverse voices and highlights a commitment to community and individuals who are driving positive change across the interrelated worlds of sports, entertainment, corporate and nonprofit.

Information

  • Creator
    SALA Series
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    93
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright SALA Series
  • Show Website
    The SALA Series Podcast

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