Episodes

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Philo Ikonya of Kenya, a human rights activist, social change motivator, ardent poet, writer and lecturer. Philo holds postgraduate degrees in the Arts and consults on gender, governance and media issues. Philo courageously writes about the injustices of Kenya. In her series, Kenya Is Burning, she reflects on her country's struggles with the devastating violence that has claimed so many lives and turned its people against each other. The women of Kenya have always been a...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Barrie Bergman, Rock n' Roll CEO and visionary entrepreneur. As a child Barrie Bergman dreamt of a life in the music industry. He opened his first Record Bar music store in 1963. Through Barrie's charismatic leadership, Record Bar grew to a national chain of 180 stores in 30 states and was involved in the early careers of celebrities such as Lyle Lovett, Larry Gatlin, Jimmy Buffett, and Harry Chapin. At the age of 47, Barrie and his partners sold Record Bar for $92 milli...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Bo Ekman, founder and Chairman of the Tällberg Foundation an international non-profit organization established in Sweden. The Foundation’s work is based on humanistic values and a holistic systems approach. It aims to help leaders grow as human beings and act with purpose when managing the challenges of global interdependence. For Bo, the key to our future is making globalization work—economically, politically, socially, and culturally. He says, “We must design solutions...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Benjamin Quinto, a youth advocate, movement strategist, and activARTist™. In 1996, at age 18, he authored a proposal for a United Nations Youth Assembly. I believed that, Youth Assembly or not, we would build a network of like-minded peers, so that in 20 years' time a global network of friends would prevent us from ever pressing a button that would bomb anywhere they lived. His efforts evolved into the Global Youth Action Network (GYAN). As its founder and executive dire...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Jeffrey Glassman, J.D., founder of RainforestMaker, a non profit organization dedicated to saving and growing back the Earth’s rainforests- one tree at a time. Jeff is a highly successful attorney – a “rainmaker”- with passion for his work. Not having much time to play, he vacations as hard as he works. He adventures to exotic lands, climbs mountains, and explores wild coastlines. In 2004, while in Costa Rica Jeff says, “I was awed by its incredible beauty and I remember...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Jerilyn Brusseau, a cook, baker, restaurateur, businesswoman, humanitarian and cultural diplomat. She is founder of PeaceTable and co-founder of PeaceTrees Vietnam. Her story begins in her grandmother’s kitchen and takes her globetrotting in the spirit of peace and diplomacy. Jerilyn passionately advocates warm-hearted, soul-connected food as the most common language spoken around the world. She founded PeaceTable to create shared culinary experiences between people of t...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Angeles Arrien, to Leading Conversations for a second time! Angeles is an anthropologist, educator, award-winning author, consultant, and Founder and President of the Angeles Arrien Foundation for Cross-Cultural Education and Research.Her work bridges cultural anthropology, psychology, and mediation skills. Her award winning books include The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer and Visionary; Signs of Life: The Five Universal Shapes and How t...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes David Isaacs, co-creator of The World Café, and President of Clearing Communications an international organizational renewal and communications strategy company. In his work with leaders worldwide, David is a thinking partner in the design of strategic conversations to generate collaborative learning and to engage challenges of unprecedented change and transformation in the workplace.?Co-author (with life-partner Juanita Brown) of The World Café: Shaping Our Futures Thro...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Luisah Teish, a writer and extraordinary storyteller, internationally known for her performances of African, Caribbean, and African-American folklore and feminist myth. She is author of Jump Up: Good Times Throughout the Season with Celebrations from Around the World and Carnival of the Spirit. Teish connects us with the ancestors, bringing wisdom traditions and rituals to life. Her stories teach us what the ancients knew about the natural rhythms of the seasons, how cul...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Mark Gerzon, President of The Mediators Foundation and author of Leading Through Conflict: How Successful Leaders Transform Differences into Opportunities. Whether working with leaders of global corporations, the U.S. House of Representatives or the United Nations, his mission is to foster the emergence of leaders who know how to build bridges across divides. Passionate about building a more just, peaceful and sustainable world, his work has included designing two succes...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Stewart Levine, founder of ResolutionWorks, and co-author of Collaboration 2.0: Technology and Best Practices for Successful Collaboration in a Web 2.0 World. To thrive in this century, leaders of organizations and global projects have to rely on and expect that people will bring their best thinking to the table even if it is controversial or isn’t what everyone wants to hear. Without this, leaders risk not making informed decisions on critical issues. Virtual teams and ...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Richard Leider, founder and Chairman of The Inventure Group, and ranked by Forbes as one of the Top 5 most respected [executive] coaches with thirty years experience in coaching people to live and work on purpose. He is a best-selling author of Repacking Your Bags and Claiming Your Place At The Fire. How do we find our place in the world? Richard Leider says “it is not a place we find but a life we create…when we commit ourselves to something larger than ourselves.” Join...

Cheryl welcomes Patricia Aburdene, author of Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism. Aburdene says “capitalism is finding its soul” and points to 7 trends that will transform the way we all work, live and invest to prove it. Aburdene has a track record of deciphering the signs of significant long-term change. In the book Megatrends more than 20 years ago, she and John Naisbitt described the birth of the Information Economy.” A decade later, they predicted a networked, technology-drive...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Peter Barnes, co-founder of Working Assets, successful journalist, thought leader, and author of Capitalism 3.0: A Guide To Reclaiming The Commons. Capitalism needs an upgrade. Our current economic “operating system” fits the 18th century more than the 21st century. “When capitalism started, nature was abundant and capital was scarce; it thus made sense to reward capital above all else. Today we're awash in capital and literally running out of nature.” Peter points the w...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Carolyn Lukensmeyer Ph.D., founder and President of AmericaSpeaks, a non-profit working to reinvigorate democracy by engaging citizens in the public decision-making. Carolyn is a leader in social change, and believes that democracy should come back into fashion! She has a background in business strategy, large-scale systems design and strategic change; she has served as Chief of Staff to a state governor; Consultant to the White House Chief of Staff from November 1993 th...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Peter Block award winning author, thought leader, and consultant to corporate, government, and community organizations in the realm of empowerment, stewardship, chosen accountability, & the reconciliation of community. Peter’s many books include The Answer to How Is Yes: Acting on What Matters, the 2002 Independent Book Publisher Business Breakthrough Book of the Year; and his most recent, Community: The Structure of Belonging. Peter suggests that our major challenge in ...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes C. Otto Scharmer, Ph.D., author of Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges, and Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations and Society, co-authored with Peter Senge, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers. Otto is Senior Lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and founding chair of Presencing Institute. A blend of the words “presence” and “sensing,” presencing signifies a heightened state of attention allowing individuals...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Craig Neal, co-founder of Heartland Inc., founder of the Conscious Business Alliance, a founding board member of Business for Social Responsibility, and former publisher of Utne magazine. A passionate change leader, Craig creates networks of authenticity and essential conversations with intent to shape societal, organizational, and individual transformations needed in these times. Heartland produced the first Thought Leader Gathering for 40 change leaders in 1998 and he ...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Betty Sue Flowers, Ph.D., poet, editor, educator, business consultant and Director of the LBJ Presidential Library. She is co-author of the book Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations, and Society. As opportunity goes global, is a new story of leadership emerging? Can we shape the future by shaping the story? Betty Sue challenges leaders to sense and help actualize emerging futures in part by using spiritual disciplines as tools. Be part of ...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Kristin Engvig, founder of the internationally acclaimed Women’s International Networking Global Leadership Forum. She is a social entrepreneur and international consultant with a passion for the critical role women play in shaping the future and elevating leadership. Kristin believes that all people in business need to learn how to do business in a graceful way to create an innovative future that is beneficial for all. Moving into the future and creating a business lead...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Wilbert Alix, a contemporary healer and teacher of progressive psychology and neo-shamanic studies. A prominent figure in the emerging science of body-centered psychology, his presentations are accentuated with intellectual depth and unique insight into the relationships between traditional shamanic healing, western science and eastern mysticism. Wilbert Alix is a 7th generation native of New Orleans, born into a culture rich in shamanic tradition, ritual trance, sacred ...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Riane Eisler, bestselling author of The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics; The Chalice & the Blade and The Power of Partnership. Riane’s story begins in Austria, where as a small child she and her family had to flee from the Nazis. This trauma could have destroyed her. Instead, it led to her quest to understand why horrible things like the Holocaust can happen–and what we can do so they do not happen again. She is an eminent social scientist, attorney, ...

Cheryl welcomes Wilford Welch a former U.S. diplomat in Asia, professor of international business, co-chairman of the Cross Cultural Journeys Foundation, and author of The Tactics of Hope - How Social Entrepreneurs are Changing our World. “Social entrepreneurs” are those who use new technologies, business methods and a lot of determination to overcome age-old social and environmental challenges, whether in their own neighborhoods or across the globe. Wilford believes that our ability to leverage...

Cheryl Esposito welcomes John P. Milton, founder of The Way of Nature and Sacred Passage™. John is a pioneering ecologist, author, spiritual teacher, meditation master, vision quest leader, and counsel to leaders around the world. His most recent book, Sky Above, Earth Below: Spiritual Practice in Nature is a guide to cultivation of connection to pure source for purpose and creativity. John's work teaches that one makes leadership stands from a place of pristine clarity. Inner-knowing and initia...