Exceptionally Good: Leaders for a Better World

Ryan Maxwell
  • 5.0 (17)
  • NON-PROFIT

We bring you in-depth interviews with exceptional leaders who drive toward a different bottom line — leaders from health care, philanthropy, non-profits, education and rescue services who are doing exceptional work for the good of the world.  Exploring their origin stories, their leadership journey and the lessons they learned on their path -- sometimes the hard way -- we bring you close to understand how exceptional leaders tick.On Instagram and Threads@e.g.exceptionallygood.org Follow us on Instagram and Threads @e.g.exceptionallygood Exceptionally Good Articles on Substack: https://substack.com/@exceptionallygood More from Exceptionally Good: 📧 ryan@exceptionallygood.org Work with Ryan:https://www.exceptionallygood.org/services

  1. 3H AGO

    28. Alejandra Naranjo — Earning the Trust to Match Generosity with Impact

    Today’s guest is someone who embodies a rare and powerful combination: sharp strategic thinking paired with a deep, human understanding of what it means to give, to trust, and to build something that matters. Alejandra Naranjo is currently the Assistant Vice President for Development, Principal Gifts and Campaign Initiatives at New York University, where she leads transformational philanthropic partnerships at the highest level. Her work sits at the intersection where trust fosters the path for generosity to help with world—helping move significant resources toward bold ideas that shape institutions and expand opportunity. Before NYU, Alejandra served as Vice President of Administration and Development for the Tecnológico de Monterrey Foundation, where she helped raise more than $15 million in just four years—and closed an eight-figure gift in her first two. At The New York Women’s Foundation, she led development efforts generating over $10 million annually in unrestricted funding, growing the donor base by 30% and advancing equity for women and families across New York City. But what makes Alejandra’s story especially compelling is the breadth of her journey. From corporate banking at Citi to teaching econometrics at ITAM… from nonprofit leadership at The American School Foundation to working alongside Mexican President Vicente Fox on cross-border initiatives to reduce poverty—her career reflects a throughline of purpose, connection, and impact. Alejandra brings both clarity and warmth to this work. She reminds us that philanthropy, at its best, isn’t just about money—it’s about belief. It’s about aligning values, honoring relationships, and investing in a future we’re brave enough to imagine together. Most of all, Alejanda uses her many many talents and skills for social good.  Listen in if you’re someone working in leadership, in philanthropy, or simply trying to make a difference in a complex world. In this episode, we explore: What builds real trust in donor relationshipsMoving from transactions to transformational partnershipsLeading across cultures and bordersBalancing strategy with empathy in high-stakes environmentsThe deeper purpose behind giving and what makes generosity meaningfulAnd what to do when you present an award to Robert Di Nero... but you don't actually have an award. What does it look like to not just ask for support—but to invite someone into shared belief? Dive in! Alejandra Naranjo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandranaranjo/ NYU University Development and Alumni Relations: https://www.nyu.edu/about/leadership-university-administration/organization-directory/university-developmentandalumnirelations.html •••••••••• About Exceptionally Good: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/about Follow us: @e.g.exceptionallygood More from Exceptionally Good: 📧 ryan@exceptionallygood.org Work with Ryan:   https://www.exceptionallygood.org/services Exceptionally Good on Substack: https://substack.com/@exceptionallygood Producer, editor and host: Ryan Maxwell Theme music: Ryan Raddatz Guitar music: Adeline’s Guitar Credits/Outro Read by: Adeline, Advice and Jess The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

    1h 3m

  2. 3D AGO

    Live from Austin! - Leadership Flops - 5¢ for Your Failures

    In Austin last week, I set up a little Lucy-style advice booth with two microphones — offering a nickel for leadership stories of those times when it all went sideways. Turns out some folks really like to share these stories.   They are reflective. The stories are full of learning. And they feel cathartic to tell. And I love these stories and sharing them — because I know so many leaders striving to lead for good have thrown in the towel because they thought: “I’m clearly not cut out for this work.  I’m not up to it… I just don’t have what it takes…” But the thing is: no one shows up with all it takes.  And it’s not that you are no good, it’s that the conditions are tough, the challenges unending and the struggle is real. But we can learn. The hard way from our flops. Or from listening to others. 🔥 This episode shares just what leaders like you need to hear. 🎧 What you’ll hear in this episode Stories of inner strugglesTimes when we plowed forward without asking the folks on the groundThe time we just let the thing flounder because our heart wasn’t in itHow we got left in the cold (literally) because we didn’t listen to our gutStories where we learned the hard way Leadership.  Not for the faint of heart. And something we all can learn. With gratitude Huge thanks to the thoughtful humans who sat down and shared some hard-earned wisdom: Victoria AndrewsRob HarrisKippy SmithLisa LangBerenice Pernalete  If this episode resonates with you, share it with a leader might need to hear that all these great and admirable people also struggle with all the same things all us mere mortals striving to lead for good struggle with. You -- and they -- are not alone in this work. •••••••••• About Exceptionally Good: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/about Follow us: @e.g.exceptionallygood More from Exceptionally Good: 📧 ryan@exceptionallygood.org Work with Ryan:   https://www.exceptionallygood.org/services Exceptionally Good on Substack: https://substack.com/@exceptionallygood Producer, editor and host: Ryan Maxwell Theme music: Ryan Raddatz Guitar music: Adeline’s Guitar Credits/Outro Read by: Adeline, Advice and Jess The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

    1h 5m

  3. 4D AGO

    Live from Austin! - AI Has 500 PhDs… So What’s a Real Teacher For?

    The question is simple. And a little dangerous. AI is always awake. Always patient. Always available. It never burns out. Never calls in sick. Never asks for healthcare. So… What is a real teacher good for anyway? I got to sit down in Austin with a group of thoughtful, funny, deeply human leaders across education, research, and innovation—and we chased that question together. Not in a polished panel. Not with prepared remarks. But in real conversations. Curious. Honest. Sometimes a little scrappy. What emerged? Again and again, people circled something we could feel… but struggled to name: “Soul.”Connection.The human spark.The thing that happens in a room that no one can quite quantify. What if AI gets better at motivation? What if it personalizes perfectly? What if budgets force impossible tradeoffs? What if the future actually does look more like screens than classrooms? And still… 🔥 The tension at the center This episode doesn’t land on easy answers. Because the truth is: AI is powerfulIt will reshape learningIt can expand access, feedback, and possibility And… There is something about being human together—that refuses to be reduced to efficiency.  Spirit, connection, authenticity. 🎧 What you’ll hear: A spirited debate about whether AI could replace most teachersThe case for “soul” as the irreplaceable ingredientA jazz analogy you won’t forgetA story about dissecting a cow eye at recess (yes, really)A deep dive into whether connection through screens is “good enough”And a recurring question that lingers long after the mic is off: What is the thing that makes us human… and how do we protect it? 🌱 Why this matters If you’re a leader in education—or anywhere humans are trying to grow, learn, and become—this isn’t a theoretical question. It’s a design question. A moral question. A future-of-our-work question. And maybe most of all… A question about what we refuse to lose. 🙏 With gratitude - Huge thanks to the thoughtful, playful humans who sat down and wrestled with this question: Ronak ParikKristen HuffAmelia KellyMaddie CarzonCarly CampbellShanna GershmanLisa LangIf this episode resonates, share it with a leader who’s trying to hold onto what matters while everything shifts around them. You’re not alone. •••••••••• About Exceptionally Good: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/about Follow us: @e.g.exceptionallygood More from Exceptionally Good: 📧 ryan@exceptionallygood.org Work with Ryan:   https://www.exceptionallygood.org/services Exceptionally Good on Substack: https://substack.com/@exceptionallygood Producer, editor and host: Ryan Maxwell Theme music: Ryan Raddatz Guitar music: Adeline’s Guitar Credits/Outro Read by: Adeline, Advice and Jess The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

    1h 2m

  4. MAR 16

    27. Becca Katz — Good-Natured Learning: Reconnecting Classrooms with the Living World

    Becca Katz — educator, writer, & co-founder of Good Natured Learning. For more than twenty years, Becca has taught in classrooms both walled and wild — from modular units in strip malls to expeditions in the Arctic and the Andes. She’s spent 300+ days leading wilderness expeditions, experiences that led her to ask a powerful question: How can nearly 8 billion people build heart-level connections with nature if most of us aren’t going on multi-day wilderness treks? That question became the seed for Good Natured Learning, an organization working to weave meaningful connections with nature into everyday learning — in every subject, every classroom, and every community. The problem they’re tackling is enormous: Despite the well-documented benefits of nature for wellbeing, learning, & stewardship of the planet, 1.5 billion students and 81 million teachers spend their school days almost entirely indoors. Becca and her colleagues believe reconnecting students with nature doesn’t require grand adventures. Instead, they take what she calls an “apple-a-day” approach: small daily moments of connection to the natural world woven into teaching and learning. Through year-long educator fellowships, nature-rich school design, and communities of practice, Good Natured Learning helps teachers bring nature into their classrooms in ways that strengthen both learning and wellbeing. Becca is also a widely published writer, with work appearing in Edutopia, Chalkbeat, and her Substack Learning, by Nature. She holds a B.A. in History and an M.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University, and recently shared her vision on the TEDx stage, inspiring audiences to imagine schools where connection to the natural world is not an add-on — but an essential part of education. Most importantly, Becca is a leader who brings her many many talents & skills for social good. In this episode we explore: Why connection to nature matters for both learning and wellbeingHow teachers can integrate nature into any subject — even indoorsThe idea of “heart-level” connection with the natural worldWhat wilderness expeditions taught Becca about leadership and learningWhy small daily practices can transform school cultureHow educators can help students develop a sense of care for the planet Links & Resources Good Natured Learning https://www.goodnaturedlearning.org/ Becca Katz - (Substack) https://beccakatz.substack.com/ Becca’s TEDx Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI2CbTehe54 •••••••••• About Exceptionally Good: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/about Follow us: @e.g.exceptionallygood More from Exceptionally Good: 📧 ryan@exceptionallygood.org Work with Ryan: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/services Exceptionally Good on Substack: https://substack.com/@exceptionallygood Producer, editor and host: Ryan Maxwell Theme music: Ryan Raddatz Guitar music: Adeline’s Guitar Credits/Outro Read by: Adeline, Advice and Jess The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

    1h 10m

  5. MAR 9

    26. Dr. Alison Lee — Human Connection, AI and the Work of Keeping Centered Who & What Matters

    This episode, I’m delighted to welcome Dr. Alison Lee—a friend, a former colleague, and someone whose influence on my own leadership is deeper than she probably knows. Some of the work I’m most proud of in my career—work focused on belonging, justice, and what it actually means to help young people thrive—came from collaboration, action, and studied reflection alongside Alison. She brings together a researcher’s mind, a brilliant intellect, and a heart anchored like granite in equity and human development. If you’ve ever had the chance to connect with her, you know both the megawatts of her thinking and the depth of her care. Full disclosure: Alison also volunteers a few hours each year on the advisory council of my tiny-but-mighty LLC focused on leadership for good. How lucky am I? Today Alison serves as Chief R&D Officer at The Rithm Project, where she leads cutting-edge work exploring human connection in the age of AI. Her path winds through a BS and BA from Rutgers, a master’s degree from Teachers College, and a PhD in Cognitive Science from Columbia University. Along the way she has spent years studying belonging and student agency at EL Education, and has worked at Instagram and Meta exploring the intersection of AI, wellbeing, and safety. She is one of the sharpest people I know when it comes to understanding the psychological, social, and ethical terrain our kids—and frankly all of us—are now navigating. If you’ve read Alison’s writing through The Rithm Project, you’ve likely seen how she describes the moment we’re in: a digital forest—full of possibility and full of danger. A place where “two wolves” live inside our technologies. One that pulls us toward autopilot—toward distraction, isolation, and destruction. And another that can deepen curiosity, connection, and agency—if we learn how to feed it. And that’s really the heart of Alison’s work: How do we help young people stay grounded in their humanity in a world increasingly designed to pull them away from authentic connection? What will it mean to remain connected—to each other, to our communities, to purpose—at a time when the computer in your pocket can pretend to be your most loyal companion: always available, never unkind, keeping all your secrets? At a moment when the AI revolution is evolving faster than any of us can keep up with, Alison is one of the rare voices — using her many many talents and skills for good — and asking the right questions… not about technology first, but about people. I’m thrilled—and it’s a personal joy—to have her on the show. So with that, dive in! Learn more about Alison’s work: The Rithm Project:  https://www.rithmproject.org/ •••••••••• About Exceptionally Good: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/about Follow us: @e.g.exceptionallygood More from Exceptionally Good: 📧 ryan@exceptionallygood.org Work with Ryan: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/services Exceptionally Good on Substack: https://substack.com/@exceptionallygood Producer, editor and host: Ryan Maxwell Theme music: Ryan Raddatz Guitar music: Adeline’s Guitar Credits/Outro Read by: Adeline, Advice and Jess The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

    1h 8m

  6. FEB 23

    25. Kirstin Lund of the Order of PEI — Courage, Collaboration & Community Change

    This episode, I’m joined by Kirstin Lund — mediator, changemaker, and fierce advocate for safer, stronger communities in Stratford, Prince Edward Island. Kirstin began her career practicing law, but soon discovered that true transformation often happens not in courtrooms, but in conversation. In 1996, she founded Collaboration School, dedicating her work to mediation, facilitation, and helping people navigate conflict with empathy and clarity. Her leadership has shaped PEI in profound ways. She founded the PEI Coalition for Women’s Leadership, chaired the Advisory Council on the Status of Women, and co-founded Justice Options for Women — helping create the Circles of Safety and Support model for those at high risk of intimate partner violence, now used beyond the Island. In recognition of her impact, she received the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada in 2022 and was named to the Order of Prince Edward Island in 2025 — one of the highest honors an islander can receive. She’s also founded PEI’s first roller-derby league, organized grassroots campaigns like “Stocking Angels,” and consistently shows that leadership can be creative, courageous, and community-rooted. Full disclosure: Kirstin is my wife’s cousin. But trust me — that’s not why she’s here. (If I invited all of my wife’s cousins onto the show, it would take like five seasons — hello, Macdonalds!) Kirstin is here because she uses her many many talents and skills for good — and because her journey offers real wisdom for leaders navigating conflict, community, and change. In this episode, we explore:  - Why a lawyer chose mediation over litigation  - What roller derby can teach us about conflict resolution  - How to build coalitions that actually move the needle  - The courage it takes to part ways well  - And why collaboration is not weakness — it’s strength with discipline In this conversation, we explore mediation over litigation, roller-derby conflict lessons, partnerships and parting ways, and why collaboration — done well — is one of the most powerful leadership tools we have. So dive in! Kirstin on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstin-lund/ Collaboration School - Mediation and More https://collaborationschool.com/ •••••••••• About Exceptionally Good: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/about Follow us: @e.g.exceptionallygood More from Exceptionally Good: 📧 ryan@exceptionallygood.org Work with Ryan: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/services Exceptionally Good on Substack: https://substack.com/@exceptionallygood Producer, editor and host: Ryan Maxwell Theme music: Ryan Raddatz Guitar music: Adeline’s Guitar Credits/Outro Read by: Adeline, Advice and Jess The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

    1h 3m

  7. FEB 16

    24. Luke Di Sessa - Building Men of Character in a Time That Needs Them

    At a time when the world needs men of character, it is my delight to host a conversation with a leader who is working to foster spaces for them. Luke Di Sessa — a powerful leader in Australia whose life’s work centers on developing men of character and helping them step into authentic, emotionally intelligent leadership. Luke is the CEO and Co-Founder of Good Better Best Men, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating safe, courageous spaces where men can face their internal challenges, build resilience, and grow into grounded, heart-led leaders. In a cultural moment saturated with confused and often unhealthy models of masculinity — including some in power who confuse bullying and brutality with power and at a time when suicide rates for men remain roughly four times higher than for women — this work is not optional. It’s essential. Through Good Better Best Men and his broader facilitation work, Luke guides men into deeper belonging, emotional intelligence, and self-responsibility. He is also a key contributor to the Southern Men’s Gathering, where he mentors men in self-transformation and embodied leadership. Currently pursuing a Diploma in Counseling, Luke integrates somatic practice, psychology, nature-based wisdom, and lived experience. His approach blends heart, body, and mind — inviting men not into performance, but into presence. Not into dominance, but into the courage to be real. This isn’t Luke’s first podcast conversation. He’s been immersed in men’s work for years, facilitating spaces across Australia and beyond. But as a host who cares deeply about rallying men of character to do exceptionally good in the world — especially in a time that holds uncertainty and too many counter-examples for healthy masculinity — I was grateful to sit down with Luke for some real talk. In this conversation, we explore:   What it means to build character rather than just competence  Why emotional intelligence is strength, not softness  The role of community and ritual in male transformation  How embodied practices help men metabolize pain instead of projecting it  What healthy leadership looks like in families, workplaces, and societyLuke reminds us that growth doesn’t happen through shame. It happens through courageous self-inquiry, honest brotherhood, and the willingness to look within. And with that, dive in. Good Better Best Men https://www.goodbetterbestmen.com.au/ What's a bandicoot? •••••••••• About Exceptionally Good: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/about Follow us: @e.g.exceptionallygood More from Exceptionally Good: 📧 ryan@exceptionallygood.org Work with Ryan: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/services Exceptionally Good on Substack: https://substack.com/@exceptionallygood Producer, editor and host: Ryan Maxwell Theme music: Ryan Raddatz Guitar music: Adeline’s Guitar Credits/Outro Read by: Adeline, Advice and Jess The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

    1h 8m

  8. FEB 9

    23. Lina Jean Fritz — Rising with Resilience & Evolving Leadership from Warrior to Diplomat

    This episode's guest is Lina Jean Fritz, a Chicago-based, C-suite nonprofit leader in strategy and innovation whose work sits at the intersection of equity and moral courage in access to the work force and higher education. Lina is a first-generation college graduate, the daughter of restaurant workers, and someone whose early life was shaped by movement—growing up across Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi before graduating from a public high school in Mississippi and heading north to attend the University of Chicago. From there, Lina’s career took her through teaching, instructional leadership, and senior nonprofit leadership—most recently as an Executive Director at OneGoal, a national organization grounded in a powerful belief: every young person deserves an equitable opportunity to get to and through college. Lina has consistently pushed leaders to rethink what readiness really means. In a widely shared piece for Chalkbeat, she asked a question that still challenges the field: What if highly selective colleges focused on being student-ready instead of placing the burden on students to be college-ready? She goes further—pressing higher-education institutions to confront uncomfortable truths about moral courage, risk, and sacrifice: What risks should we ask institutions to take—risks that may require reputational and financial sacrifice—in service of equity? In this episode, we talk about the real meaning of opportunity and how we can build systems that honor the truth that talent is equally distributed—even when opportunity is not. We also explore leadership lessons Lina has learned along the way, including accepting feedback as an act of love, and recognizing that what got you where you are may not get you where you want to go. Lina reflects on her evolution as a leader—from being the person who figures it out when it seems impossible to becoming someone who leads through discernment, influence, and trust. Drawing on wisdom often attributed to Lao Tzu, she shares a lesson that reshaped her leadership: “To lead the people, walk behind them.” Because when you do, you can finally see. This is a conversation about feedback, humility, and moral courage ...and about using your talents, fully and honestly, in service of exceptional social good. And with that… let’s dive in. •••••••••• •••••••••• About Exceptionally Good: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/about Follow us: @e.g.exceptionallygood More from Exceptionally Good: 📧 ryan@exceptionallygood.org Work with Ryan: https://www.exceptionallygood.org/services Exceptionally Good on Substack: https://substack.com/@exceptionallygood Producer, editor and host: Ryan Maxwell Theme music: Ryan Raddatz Guitar music: Adeline’s Guitar Credits/Outro Read by: Adeline, Advice and Jess The views shared on this podcast are those of my guests and the host and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer past or present.

    1h 17m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

We bring you in-depth interviews with exceptional leaders who drive toward a different bottom line — leaders from health care, philanthropy, non-profits, education and rescue services who are doing exceptional work for the good of the world.  Exploring their origin stories, their leadership journey and the lessons they learned on their path -- sometimes the hard way -- we bring you close to understand how exceptional leaders tick.On Instagram and Threads@e.g.exceptionallygood.org Follow us on Instagram and Threads @e.g.exceptionallygood Exceptionally Good Articles on Substack: https://substack.com/@exceptionallygood More from Exceptionally Good: 📧 ryan@exceptionallygood.org Work with Ryan:https://www.exceptionallygood.org/services

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