Amelia Brodka is obsessed with skateboarding.

She has spent the majority of her life honing her skills, and has done well as an international competitor, including in the 2020 Olympics. But she noticed very early on that skateboarding had an equity problem. For her USC senior thesis, she made a documentary film called Underexposed, about the systemic inequities that have disproportionately impacted female-identifying and non-traditional skateboarders. It was a huge success and suddenly Amelia had a new obsession: helping others.

Tune into our latest podcast episode to learn about how Amelia and her team aren't just crusading for equity in skateboarding, they are creating a new generation of more empathetic and effective leaders, while raising money and awareness for issues like domestic violence.

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There are 4.6 million first responders in the US alone. Systematic reviews have shown that up to 21.5 percent of them suffer from effects of post traumatic stress disorder because of the things they witness every day just doing their jobs.

These courageous people are putting their lives on the line to make us safer, but when they need help they have few places to turn.

Chad Guenter decided that this was not OK. Through his non-profit organization Project All-In, Chad and his team are actively working to provide tools and workshops to address the mental health needs of over 11,000 first responders in 9 different countries.

Join us as we trace the roots of Chad’s empathy, learn more about his community, and tap into his strategies for making life-changing individual impacts at an impressive scale.

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In our second episode of season 2, Matt connects with his very first friend, Malia Marquez, to visit three sacred sites that are incredibly significant to indigenous Hawaiians. As a native Hawaiian, Malia has spent her adult life working hard to protect Hawaiian land, culture, and people from the revisionist forces of modernization and commerce.

Join us as we walk through these incredible places while discussing the impact of Malia's work, and reflect on the importance of preservation, respect for our past, and standing up for what you believe in.

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Tessa Hulls is a multi-disciplinary creative force of human nature. As a teacher and illustrator, Tessa has created her own unique style of visual storytelling that not only compels her readers to places of new understanding, but she is also a conceptual alchemist who can effortlessly compose facts, events, perspectives, and emotions into beautiful pieces of art. Tessa is also an adventurer, a cyclist, a naturalist, activist, innovator, and dedicated and loving friend and daughter.

She has just released a new graphic memoir titled “Feeding Ghosts”, that was ten years in the making. She has emerged from the process feeling conflicted about being creative for a living, which is something she has done for her entire life. But don’t worry…Tessa has a plan!

Join us for a walk around Seattle’s Chinatown-International District and Pioneer Square, as we learn more about Tessa’s process, her new book, and what happens when your creativity is placed into a medically-induced coma.

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It’s been said so many times that it’s become cliché…that music is a universal language, that it is one of the only things that unites people across cultural, physical, and socio-political dividing lines. Even so, a lot of bands seem shy away from addressing issues with their music for fear of alienating fans who may disagree with their beliefs, especially early in their careers. Bruce Springsteen can afford to lose a few people by taking a stand on something potentially polarizing, but for a young band in today’s hyper competitive wild west of a music industry, singing about stuff that matters represents an added risk to their financial success…or does it?

As you are about to find out, Nashville’s Friendship Commanders is finding an audience by making music that matters. You will not find any party anthems in the impressive catalog of music they’ve released in the 8 years they’ve been together. Instead, they choose to tackle issues like sexism, abuse, alienation, gas-lighting, objectification, racism, police brutality…, just to name a few. But what’s unique about Friendship Commanders’ approach is that Friendship Commanders’ brand of ideological confrontation feels INCLUSIVE.

I caught up with chief songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist, Buick Audra, and drummer Jerry Roe to learn more about their journey as artists, and what it’s like to stand for something meaningful in today’s crowded musical landscape. Please enjoy my conversation with Friendship Commanders.

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When we caught up with Hans and Nick Schippers, they were traveling down the West Coast in a converted school bus, changing the way we educate our future generations about environmental issues by visiting schools and teaching kids about the negative impact of plastic pollution. They did this by forging and leveraging strategic partnerships with organizations like the Parley for the Oceans advocacy group and Sustainable Coastline Hawaii, to bring their message into these coastal communities that are the most affected. They have reached over 25,000 kids with their unique curriculum which includes workshops, speaking engagements, and beach cleanups. 25% of the schools they visit implement action to reduce plastic pollution in their institutions.

Hans and Nick Schippers are just getting started but have already done so much to inspire and elevate, and to raise awareness about the threat to what may arguably be the Earth’s most precious and important gift…the ocean. Tune in to learn more about these pioneers of environmental advocacy and action!

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Back in June of last year, AWWS’s Keith Bacon was kind enough to interview PMA founder, editor, and chief custodial engineer Matt Johnston. This is the only interview with Matt where he discusses the formation of the magazine and what it takes to sustain it. If you’ve ever wondered what it might take to launch a print magazine in 2019, or why anyone would ever do such a thing, listen no further than Keith’s insightful interview. Also, don’t sleep on Keith’s other amazing podcast, Field to Fork!

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In 2016, Molly Harmon installed a pantry in her front yard in Seattle, Washington, because she wanted to help feed those in her neighborhood who were experiencing food insecurity. Like the Little Free Libraries, these pantry boxes are located throughout residential neighborhoods, and people contribute when they are able to. In some cases, the pantries are stocked each morning, and found empty by nighttime.

With the support of many volunteers, Molly has helped build and distribute over 150 pantries across the region. She is hoping that the network of pantries will grow even more throughout the Northwest region over the next few years, connecting people to each other by way of a shared human need. Join us as we chat with Molly Harmon and Meaghan McClure of Little Free Pantries, and learn more about their tremendous journey.

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Donald Watts had everything going for him as one of the best high school basketball players ever to come out of Washington State. Just as his NBA dreams were about to be realized, Donald felt that something was not right. He was suffering from Chronic Fatigue syndrome, a debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound fatigue that is not improved by rest.

Unwilling to forfeit his dreams, Donald began a new journey that allowed him to leverage his leadership skills, competitive spirit, and brilliant mind for the good of others. In this episode, we'll take a walk in the shoes of not just a tremendous basketball player, but get to know the organization he's built from the ground up that uses basketball as a vehicle for personal growth and what he calls “game changers for life.”

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Some guys arm themselves with guitars. Some women wield a mighty pen. Other folks always just seem to be holding. Lance Mercer’s path to the stage was a camera. Lance has tangled with some King Hell adversaries and emerged not only intact— but often stronger, wiser and more complete. Join us for an intimate conversation with Lance recorded at his West Seattle home, during which he reveals the secrets of his success, what it was like to be present for Seattle music’s finest moments, and how despite all of life’s unpredictable challenges, he manages to keep everything in focus.

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This week we want to change it up a little and bring you some shorter clips from interviews we did that we thought were really great, but because we really weren’t thinking about doing a podcast at the time, they were either too short, super casual, or just recorded in really noisy locations. We still wanted to showcase these individuals though, and get them into the time capsule that is this first season.

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Gretchen Baer is a master at synthesizing negatives into positives. So much so that she has internalized this synthesis into a practice that guides her entire life. Take her Border Bedazzlers project as an example…she saw an ugly and divisive border wall and created a project to turn it into an art canvas, that amazingly evolved into her Mariposa art and music school for under-served kids in the Mexican border town of Naco.

I really learned a lot from Gretchen about how to create a holistic approach to living a creative life. I hope you get as much out of our chat as I did.

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I’ll Tell You My Story is an organization that formed in a very unconventional way, when a writer named Spring Sutter, a filmmaker named Zippy Kumundu, and a photographer Emily Rieman very simply decided to do something seemingly unfathomable. Relying primarily on positive thinking and the modest personal resources they had on hand, these phenomenal women created a storytelling workshop for refugee girls who were fleeing conflict in Eastern Africa. What began as a single week-long workshop in Nairobi continues as an annual program, and has expanded into a second set of workshops in Uganda.

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When I sat down and listened to Skate Like a Girl’s leadership interview each other, I was only just beginning the PMA journey. The idea to interview my friends Kristin Ebeling and Nancy Chang was an almost simultaneous occurrence with the notion to start this magazine. When Kristin shocked me by showing me her PMA tattoo, I took it as as sign from the universe that I was on the right path and must do this.

Listen to these two incredible women discuss the genesis of their organization, how they found their way into serving others, and how community-building and leadership can evolve into living your very best life.

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