Partnership Work

Paul Kuttner
  • 5.0 (1)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

With isolation and division on the rise, what does it take to get people working together? In this podcast, we explore the art and science of collaboration. Host Paul Kuttner talks with connectors, conveners, and bridge builders — people who have dedicated themselves to breaking down the walls that divide us and moving people toward action.

Episodes

  1. FEB 5

    Won't You Be My Neighbor? University Partnerships with Jamilah Ducar

    In this episode, host Paul Kuttner talks with Dr. Jamilah Ducar, Associate Vice Chancellor for Engagement and Community Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, about what it means for a university to be a good partner with its surrounding community. They explore Pitt’s listening-first approach to partnership, strategies for building (and rebuilding trust), and the everyday work of centering relationships. Jamie shares concrete examples of community development and educational partnerships, illustrating how universities can align faculty, staff, and operations to support neighborhoods. They also discuss the skills and organizational architecture needed for effective community engagement. And Jamie shares a bit about her journey into this work, from early family life, to the service industry, to human services, to higher ed.  For more about the University of Pittsburgh's approach to community engagement visit https://www.community.pitt.edu/ To hear Jamie talking about her dissertation research, check out this video.  Read The Community Engagement Professional in Higher Education and its companion the Community Engagement Professional's Guidebook: ———————— To subscribe to this podcast, visit https://partnershipwork.org or subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. Partnership Work is an independent podcast, produced with the support of Urban Media Arts in Malden, MA. Visit them at https://urbanmediaarts.org/ The music for this episode was Hazy Reflections from the NFL Music Library on APM Music.

    37 min

  2. 11/24/2025

    Remixing Research with Judy Pryor-Ramirez

    Join Paul Kuttner as he sits down with Judy Pryor-Ramirez to trace her journey as a community-based, participatory action researcher. From playful beach-themed data labs to virtual story circles, Judy shares a vision of research that shifts power, builds community, and sparks action. Judy is a Clinical Associate Professor of Public Service at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where she studies and teaches about social justice leadership. Judy is also a consultant, partnering with social justice leaders to facilitate transformation for their teams, organizations, and networks. Her career has spanned government, nonprofits, and higher education. To find out more about Judy you can visit her website: https://www.judypryorramirez.com To learn more about the Story Circle Interview Method, check out Judy's chapter in the book Anti-colonial research praxis: Methods for knowledge justice. For some history on story circles, Judy recommends checking out Lizzy Cooper Davis's chapter, The Free Southern Theater's Story Circle Process. Learn more about the national network Judy talks about, Imagining America For more information about critical and community-based participatory action research, Judy recommends some of her teachers at the Public Science Project. ———————— To subscribe to this podcast, visit https://partnershipwork.org or subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. Partnership Work is an independent podcast, produced with the support of Urban Media Arts in Malden, MA. Visit them at https://urbanmediaarts.org/ The music for Partnership Work is Revolution, composed by John August Pregler and Bernard James Perry II.

    43 min

  3. 10/06/2025

    Opportunity and Belonging with Ze Min Xiao

    In this episode, host Paul Kuttner talks with Ze Min Xiao, President and CEO of The Center for Economic Opportunity and Belonging in Utah. Ze founded the center just a few years ago, with the goal of building “a Utah where everyone can thrive and belong.” As you’ll hear, that means bringing community leaders and organizations together with highest levels of state government, businesses, nonprofits, and funders to tackle economic and educational disparities. Ze shares how her family, and her many years working in immigrant and refugee services, shaped her belief in putting community wisdom first. She talks about what it takes to build partnerships across lines of faith and political party in deep-red Utah, even on major political lightning rods like immigration. She opens up about the emotional toll this work can take, and where she finds resilience and hope when things are at their bleakest.   Ze doesn’t hold back in her assessment of where things stand right now. But she leaves us with what she says good leaders offer us: a future vision we can work toward together. Visit Ze's organization at belonginutah.org Learn about Team Democracy's river rafting project at raftforamerica.org ———————— To subscribe to this podcast, visit https://partnershipwork.org or subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. Partnership Work is an independent podcast, produced with the support of Urban Media Arts in Malden, MA. Visit them at https://urbanmediaarts.org/ The music for Partnership Work is Revolution, composed by John August Pregler and Bernard James Perry II.

    40 min

  4. 07/28/2025

    Redefining School Leadership with Ann Ishimaru

    When we think of school leaders, we usually picture principals, superintendents, maybe the school board. My guest today says that that idea of leadership is far too narrow. The leaders we need if we're going to make schools work for all students are not just the ones with formal titles and degrees – they’re also parents and students, teachers and community members. In this vision of leadership, the role of a principal or district leader is not to figure things out by themselves but instead to work with folks from all these groups to create solutions together. In other words, educational leadership is a kind of partnership work. Today I’m sharing my interview with Ann Ishimaru. Ann is a professor at the University of Washington College of Education, and a prominent scholar of educational leadership. But she is definitely not your typical professor. She spends a lot of her time out in the schools, partnering with principals, collaborating with families. She's a former science teacher and organizer, a mother, and co-founder of cultural organization based around the art of traditional Japanese drumming, or Taiko. Ann offers a vision of leadership as a collective effort. She describes what it looks like when families and educators become “co-designers” of education initiatives. And she dives into her most recent book, edited with her colleague Dr. Decoteau Irby, which explores how a new crop of district leaders across the country have been working to build equity into our school systems. Find Dr. Ishimaru and Dr. Irby's book, Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change at Teachers College Press Sign up for Ann's newsletter at https://annishimaru.kit.com/9d7b4a623e Learn more about Ann's work with the Family Leadership Design Collaborative at https://familydesigncollab.org/ ———————— To subscribe to this podcast, visit https://partnershipwork.org or subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. Partnership Work is an independent podcast, produced with the support of Urban Media Arts in Malden, MA. Visit them at https://urbanmediaarts.org/ The music for Partnership Work is Revolution, composed by John August Pregler and Bernard James Perry II.

    45 min

  5. 05/13/2025

    Organizational Healing: A Conversation with Ora Grodsky

    In this episode of Partnership Work, host Paul Kuttner dives into the complexities of social justice organizations with Ora Grodsky, co-founder of Just Works Consulting. Ora shares insights from her new book Justice, Love, and Organizational Healing. She discusses how both individuals and organizations heal, and how personal health impacts collective well-being. Listeners will gain an understanding of how conflict can act as a catalyst for growth and transformation, and how listening across power divides can help foster authentic collaboration. Ora also touches on her personal journey and the influences that shaped her career. To learn more about Ora and her work visit Just Works Consulting at https://www.just-works.com/ Check out Ora's new book, Justice, Love, and Organizational Healing: A Guide to Transformational Consulting, at https://www.just-works.com/resources/justice-love-and-organizational-healing/ ------------------------ To subscribe to this podcast, visit https://partnershipwork.podbean.com/ or subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. Partnership Work is an independent podcast, produced with the support of Urban Media Arts in Malden, MA. Visit them at https://urbanmediaarts.org/ The music for Partnership Work is Revolution, composed by John August Pregler and Bernard James Perry II.

    32 min
  6. Community Coalitions: A Conversation with Chioma Nnaji

    03/11/2025

    Community Coalitions: A Conversation with Chioma Nnaji

    In this episode of Partnership Work, host Paul Kuttner dives into the world of community coalitions with Chioma Nnaji, Senior Program Director at the Multicultural AIDS Coalition. Chioma shares her journey from working in healthcare management to organizing African diaspora communities around public health. They discuss the the process of bringing folks to the table, the significance of identity and culture, and the power of stepping back so the community can lead. Join Paul and Chioma as they explore how to overcome challenges and sustain coalitions for lasting social change. To learn more about Chioma Nnaji read her bio here. To learn more about the Multicultural AIDS Coalition, visit their website at https://www.mac-boston.org/ Read about Chioma's facilitation business, Ochoa Transformations, at https://ochatransformations.com/ For more advice on building and maintaining community coalitions, check out this resources from Community Tool Box. If you want to know what Theatre of the Oppressed is, visit Toplab at http://www.toplab.org/ ------------------------ To subscribe to this podcast, visit https://partnershipwork.podbean.com/ or subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. Partnership Work is an independent podcast, produced with the support of Urban Media Arts in Malden, MA. Visit them at https://urbanmediaarts.org/ The music for Partnership Work is Revolution, composed by John August Pregler and Bernard James Perry II.

    45 min
  7. Building Bridges: A Conversation with Jennifer Mayer-Glenn

    02/03/2025

    Building Bridges: A Conversation with Jennifer Mayer-Glenn

    Welcome to the inaugural episode of Partnership Work, a podcast about the art and science of bringing people together. On this episode, host Paul Kuttner chats with Jennifer Mayer-Glenn, Director of University Neighborhood Partners at the University of Utah. Jennifer discusses her work in the K-12 public school system, where she championed partnerships between families and schools, and her transition to higher education, where she's been leading a community-university partnership aimed at establishing a new hospital. Paul and Jennifer delve into her personal history, discussing the formative influences of her family and early experiences as well as nuggets of wisdom she’s picked over the course of her career. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of the important role of 'place' in collaboration, the balance between structured processes and organic emergence, and how trust and relationship-building are pivotal in bridging divides between marginalized communities and systems. Join Paul and his guest as they uncover the 'method to this partnership madness.'  Learn more about University Neighborhood Partners by visiting them at https://www.partners.utah.edu/ Jenny mentions seeing political theater troupe Teatro Campesino as a child. Learn about Teatro Campesino here: https://elteatrocampesino.com/our-history/ ------------------------ To subscribe to this podcast, visit https://partnershipwork.podbean.com/ or subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. Partnership Work is an independent podcast, produced with the support of Urban Media Arts in Malden, MA. Visit them at https://urbanmediaarts.org/ The music for Partnership Work is Revolution, composed by John August Pregler and Bernard James Perry II.

    43 min
  8. Coming Soon: Partnership Work

    SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Coming Soon: Partnership Work

    What does it take to reach across the walls that divide us and get people working together to improve our world? That's the question we'll be asking on Partnership Work. Join host Paul Kuttner as he investigates the art and science of collaboration. For more information, visit https://partnershipwork.podbean.com/ or subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. Partnership Work is an independent podcast, produced with the support of Urban Media Arts in Malden, MA. Visit them at https://urbanmediaarts.org/ The music for Partnership Work is Revolution, composed by John August Pregler and Bernard James Perry II.

    1 min

Trailer

About

With isolation and division on the rise, what does it take to get people working together? In this podcast, we explore the art and science of collaboration. Host Paul Kuttner talks with connectors, conveners, and bridge builders — people who have dedicated themselves to breaking down the walls that divide us and moving people toward action.

Information

  • Creator
    Paul Kuttner
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Partnership Work