Issue Space

Issue Space Media

Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. Our mission is to give ambitious social impact professionals a sustaining sense of connection to their sector. Our vision is an impact workforce that grows and thrives — so that we all can.

  1. 07/29/2025

    Off the Clock: How Impact Pros Live their Values At and Outside Work (Live Show)

    About the Episode There are so many ways to engage with the major issues of this world. There's looking away and tuning out - and then there's tuning *WAY* in. For folks working, creating, and side-hustling in social impact, life is all about the latter. While it can be heavy on the mind, heart, and soul to take on this work, it's also a way to guarantee that a good chunk of one's waking hours are devoted to fighting humanity's good fights and living one's values. But then - what does that really take? How are folks managing the competing needs of personal life, professional work, and the never-ending causes demanding our attention? In this live episode of the Issue Space podcast, we talk to three social impact advocates who approach their changemaking at work, their personal lives, or somewhere in between about where impact fits into our lives today. Host: Cat Addo https://www.cataddo.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineaddo/ Guests: Michele Lampach https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-lampach/ Matthew Chavez https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-chavez-40a84a82/ Bryant Silva https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryant-silva/ © Issue Space Media Inc. 2025 This episode of the Issue Space podcast was produced by July Third and published by Multitude https://multitude.productions> See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 10m
  2. 12/03/2024

    When the Good Fight Fights Us: Burnout in the Impact Space

    Between the constant crises, sky-high stakes, emotional subject matter, and collaborative complexity, burnout is a constant threat among professionals working in social change. In this episode of the Issue Space podcast, we'll hear from two social impact pros who have been pushed to their limit in this work. We'll explore what drove them to the breaking point, how they cared for themselves during and after burnout, what they learned from the experience, and what ultimately brings them back to a professional life pursuing positive change.   About   Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a  podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. For more and to join our community, visit: www.issuespacemedia.com    Host   Cat Addo  https://www.cataddo.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineaddo/    Guests    Brittany K. Barnett https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanykbarnett/details/experience/  Gabrielle Wyatt https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-wyatt-50612a8/  Discussed references “How I’m Saving Myself From Burnout While Fighting For Change” https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/burnout-activism-health    “Burn-out an 'occupational phenomenon': International Classification of Diseases” https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases   © Issue Space Media Inc. 2024 The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude     See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 12m
  3. 11/19/2024

    Affinity & Beyond: The Identity Politics of Impact Work

    A social impact professional’s work often involves advocating for our most personal rights. It’s only natural, then, that one might bring their own affinity to bear in these efforts. But in a time when identity politics are framed as distracting, divisive, or just else done-to-death, how valuable is it for social changemakers to approach the work they do through the lenses of their own identities? And what challenges do they face as a result of the choice to lean in or out of approaching social change from the perspectives of their own communities? In this episode of the Issue Space podcast, we’ll hear three points of view on decisions to embrace or reject their personal identities as a path to impact, and explore what it really means to turn an intrinsic life experience into a job and a cause.    About   Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a  podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. For more and to join our community, visit: www.issuespacemedia.com    Host   Cat Addo  https://www.cataddo.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineaddo/  Guests Paola Mendoza  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paola_Mendoza    Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg  https://www.linkedin.com/in/wanjirukr/    Alistair Stephenson  https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-stephenson/  © Issue Space Media Inc. 2024 The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude at https://multitude.productions See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 22m
  4. 11/12/2024

    From the Office to the Hill: Working Across Politics, Government, & Impact

    Anyone who’s worked in social impact knows that, just as political climate and administration shape our personal lives, so too do they affect our work, from what gets funded, to how our advocacy is framed in the zeitgeist, to everything in between. Some professionals toggle between working in politics and social impact to advance the change they’re fighting for, while others sit firmly in careers on one side or the other. How does that choice change your day-to-day experience in changemaking, and your efficacy? In this episode of the Issue Space podcast, we explore where politics and impact work intersect, and what that means for the folks who take on one or both in their careers.   About Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a  podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. For more and to join our community, visit: www.issuespacemedia.com    Host Cat Addo  https://www.cataddo.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineaddo/    Guests Natika Washington  https://www.linkedin.com/in/natikawashington/    Jessy Tolkan  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessytolkan/  © Issue Space Media Inc. 2024 The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude at https://multitude.productions See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 26m
  5. 10/22/2024

    On & Off (the Ground): Finding Your Best Vantage Point for Change

    Every social impact pro has to find their own way. Will they focus on one issue, or work across many? Will they tie their efforts to a certain place or politician, or float across a range of movements and leaders? And, will they work to tackle change from the top-down (think: systems, media, politics) or from the bottom-up (in communities, working with the grassroots)? In this episode of the Issue Space podcast, we speak with three social impact professionals to explore how they found where they belong across the different tiers of changemaking.   About Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a  podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. For more, visit: www.issuespacemedia.com    Host Cat Addo  https://www.cataddo.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineaddo/    Guests   Rachel Sumekh  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsumekh/    Jason Rzepka  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrzepka/    Carolyn Gilbert  https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-gilbert-3614b267/    © Issue Space Media Inc. 2024 The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 1m
  6. 10/15/2024

    Equitable Expectations: How One Impact Pro Defines Her Worth Beyond DEI

    As a phrase and as a vision, ‘Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion’ has been on a rollercoaster, from sitting front and center in the zeitgeist, to getting defunded and deprioritized. In this era, people working in DEI find their work framed through the lenses of social justice and partisan fights, while folks working in social impact have seen their focus pulled toward what was once an HR-adjacent lane. How has this cultural and professional whirlwind changed the trajectory of people in social impact – and particularly, the trajectories of people of color who sit at the center of both storms? In this episode of the Issue Space podcast, we chat with an advocacy amplifier with an unapologetically inclusive lens about her journey through the social impact sector during its ‘DEI transformation.’   About Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a  podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. For more, visit: www.issuespacemedia.com   Host Cat Addo https://www.cataddo.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineaddo/   Guest Janna Pea https://www.linkedin.com/in/jannapea/   Discussed references   Five Facts to Know About Black Philanthropy https://www.tides.org/five-facts-to-know-about-black-philanthropy/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20report%20by,totaling%20%2411%20billion%20each%20year.   3 steps to better connect with your fellow humans https://www.ted.com/talks/amber_cabral_3_steps_to_better_connect_with_your_fellow_humans?subtitle=en     © Issue Space Media Inc. 2024 The Issue Space podcast is produced by Multitude at https://multitude.productions See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    59 min
5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Working to make life better for humankind is both a privilege and a challenge, and no one knows this better than the folks who have made this work their day job. Issue Space is a podcast and community for professional changemakers of every kind. Through candid conversations about the lived experience of social change work, we hold space to process life in the unique — and uniquely needed — business of impact. Our mission is to give ambitious social impact professionals a sustaining sense of connection to their sector. Our vision is an impact workforce that grows and thrives — so that we all can.