How to Change the World

Natasha Lopez-Rodriguez, Financial Education Program of YWCA Natasha Lopez-Rodriguez brings the cha-change by helping people escape debt, start businesses and become financially independent. She's the Financial Education Program Director for YWCA in Phoenix – and she rocks at it. Natasha talks with us about the importance of financial literacy, learning from the past and preparing for success in the future.

Adam Callow, CEO and Founder of Expert Trades Adam Callow is the Founder and CEO of ExpertTrades. An entrepreneur at heart, Adam has chased his dreams of starting his own company. Adam sits down with us to talk shop, the entrepreneurial spirit and what it takes to forge your own path. Change-engineers will not want to miss out on Adam's tale of realizing his own strengths and leveraging those into a successful business. In his free time, Adam also has a podcast. Check out his interview with our CEO, Catherine Alonzo, on StartUp Diary.

AiVi Nguyen, Law Partner of Bowditch & Dewey AiVi Nguyen became a partner at Bowditch & Dewey at just 31 – a testament to how intelligent, dedicated, and driven she is. As the daughter of Vietnamese refugees she grew up in public housing and had limited resources. But despite the obstacles, she was driven to reach the Ivy League and pursue a successful law career. We sit down for an inspiring conversation with AiVi to talk about opportunity and how to find and open doors when there's seemingly none to be found.

Jack Wight, CEO of Buyback Boss Carri Dougher, COO of Buyback Boss We have a special interview this week featuring two guests: CEO Jack Wight and COO Carrie Dougher of Buyback Boss. They encourage folks who have old iPhones and Samsungs lying around to put them to good use by selling them back through their company, which offers cash payment. The story of Buyback Boss is a fascinating one. Jack started the company out of his Arizona State University dorm room and Carrie lived just next door. Up to his ears in used phones and shipment packaging, Carrie's top-notch Excel skills added systems and process to a great idea. A few years down the road, Jack's natural entrepreneurialism and Carrie's operational prowess have created a rapidly growing company, with a team of eleven and expanding profits. We talk to them about how it all started, the lessons they've learned, and what the future holds.

Sherry Michaels, President and Director of Learning Solutions at Michaels & Associates Working from home is very fashionable. It wasn't always that way though. Sherry Michaels started working remotely 30 years ago – before it was a "thing" – and she has been running her own company of work-from-homers for 20 years. Change is coming to the modern workplace and working remotely is on the rise. Learn what it's really like from a remote work lifer.

Noah Karvelis, Co-Founder of Arizona's Educators United If you've been in Arizona or on the internet lately, chances are you've heard of the #RedforEd movement for increased public education funding. Support has been posted in business windows, written on vehicles, discussed on national news, worn on shirts, and resulted in a historic teacher walkout across the state. This week, we sit down with one of the people who helped to start it all. Noah Karvelis co-founded Arizona Educators United and helped spark the #RedforEd movement in Arizona. We discussed the reality for Arizona educators today, how teachers mobilized, and what leading a movement has been like every step of the way. The movement continues. 270,000 signatures were recently submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State to place the Invest in Education Act on the state's ballot this November. Due to the inaction of the Arizona State Legislature earlier this year, this ballot initiative seeks to raise the revenue necessary to restore some of the $1 billion that has been cut from public schools since 2008. Javelina is excited and honored to be a partner in this effort as the general consultant on the campaign moving forward.

Gloria Feldt, Co-Founder and President of Take the Lead Not-so-fun-fact: Did you know that fewer than 20% of top leaders across all sectors are women? Thankfully there are extraordinary people like Gloria Feldt who are trailblazing the way and vigilantly fighting for gender parity. Gloria is the Co-Founder and President of Take the Lead, a nonprofit focused on preparing, developing, inspiring, and propelling women to leadership positions. And that's after she rose through Planned Parenthood's ranks to serve as President and CEO of the national organization from 1996-2005. Oh, and she's a New York Times best-selling author too. Phew. This week she joins the podcast to share her incredible journey, the wonders of internal and external barriers to leadership, and how we can make the world a more equal place. You can learn more about her organization at www.taketheleadwomen.com

Mi-Ai Parrish, Professor at ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication Mi-Ai Parrish, former publisher of The Arizona Republic and current professor at ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, joins us to discuss her path from intern to publisher, how she came to trust her instincts, and handling a barrage of death threats after taking a stand for what she believed in.

Ellis Palmer, Senior Broadcast Journalist of BBC News "Change doesn't always mean making something different. Sometimes it's about contending with the way things are." Ellis Palmer, Senior Broadcast Journalist at the BBC, joins the podcast this week. Ellis was born super early, resulting in cerebral palsy. He opens up about growing up, living, and working with a disability. We chat about the changes that would make everyday better – like accessible Tube stations. Get your day on the right track with Ellis's story.

Hanna Miller, CEO and Founder of Ringmaster Hanna is the CEO & Founder of Ringmaster, where she works with teams to understand their gifts and maximize their talents. We talk with Hanna about the importance of leaning into your strengths to create lasting and meaningful change – and we also chat about her time in the circus.