Sarah Hemminger is the CEO of Thread, a Baltimore-based nonprofit devoted to building intentional and meaningful support networks for young people who are facing significant challenges. Listen as CaseyCast host and Casey Foundation President and CEO Lisa Hamilton chats with Hemminger about her organization and its innovative 10-year commitment to helping young people succeed.

Learn more at https://www.aecf.org/blog/sarah-hemminger-on-how-to-create-a-stronger-community-for-young-people/.

Sarah Hemminger on Building Community for Baltimore's Young People

Suzanne McCormick is the U.S. president of United Way Worldwide — a role that includes supporting and shaping the work of 1,100 local chapters across the country. 

Listen as CaseyCast host and Casey Foundation President and CEO Lisa Hamilton chats with McCormick about how the United Way has evolved its programs and priorities to better support communities and families during the pandemic.

To learn more, visit https://www.aecf.org/blog/united-ways-suzanne-mccormick-on-serving-communities-during-the-pandemic/.

Suzanne McCormick Talks United Way and COVID-19 Responses

In this episode of CaseyCast, Lisa Hamilton chats with Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity, about America’s broken housing market, how we got here and the vital role that housing plays in creating successful families and communities.

Habitat's Jonathan Reckford on Housing's Vital Role in Well-Being

In this episode of CaseyCast, Casey Foundation President & CEO Lisa Hamilton talks with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer about America’s cities, their greatest challenges, their role in driving change and their capacity to help kids and families flourish.

Learn more at https://www.aecf.org/blog/greg-fischer-on-the-role-of-american-cities-in-building-a-better-future.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer Talks Cities and Building a Better Future

The latest CaseyCast episode features David Brooks — a journalist and social sciences scholar who is leading an inspiring charge to build stronger communities and social trust.

David Brooks on Strengthening America’s Social Fabric

In this episode of CaseyCast, Lisa Hamilton chats with Karol Mason, president of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and one of the nation’s leading voices in criminal justice reform.

Karol Mason on Criminal Justice Reform

Casey's Lisa Hamilton chats with Naomi Wadler who, at age 11, captivated millions at a 2018 March For Our Lives event in Washington, D.C. Now 15, Naomi continues to connect with audiences and advocate against gun violence.

In this episode, Wadler about her rapid rise as a youth advocate, how parents — and politicians — can support young leaders, and what kids should keep in mind as they speak up and seek out meaningful change.

Learn more at https://www.aecf.org/blog/naomi-wadler-on-raising-youth-voices-and-youth-advocates

Naomi Wadler on Raising Youth Voices and Youth Advocates

In this episode of CaseyCast: Casey's Lisa Hamilton chats with Nicole Lynn Lewis, who leads Generation Hope, a nonprofit devoted to helping young parents go to — and graduate from — college.

Nicole Lynn Lewis on Young Student Parents

In this episode, Lisa Hamilton chats with United Way of Northern New Jersey’s Stephanie Hoopes about building a better measure of financial hardship for workers and families. Stream it now.

Learn more at https://www.aecf.org/blog/stephanie-hoopes-on-building-a-better-barometer-for-financial-hardship.

Stephanie Hoopes Talks Survival Budget and Family Success

Join Lisa Hamilton, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, as she interviews Ellen Roche, a leading voice in early childhood education. Discover why relationships are crucial for creating ideal learning environments where all children thrive.  Explore the intersection of research and practice, and learn how we can build a brighter future by investing in our youngest learners.

Nurturing Young Minds: A Conversation With Ellen Roche

In this episode of CaseyCast, Lisa Hamilton speaks with Lawrence F. Katz, Harvard economist and co-founder of J-PAL North America, about the transformative role of research and evidence in addressing poverty and inequality. They discuss sectoral employment training, the power of randomized control trials to shape effective social policies and groundbreaking programs like Moving to Opportunity. Katz shares insights on building pathways to economic mobility, the importance of neighborhood effects and how partnerships between researchers, communities and policymakers can drive meaningful change. Tune in to explore how data and collaboration are creating a brighter future for kids and families.

Learn more at https://www.aecf.org/blog/lawrence-katz-on-how-research-and-evidence-drive-social-change

Insights from Lawrence Katz on CaseyCast

Artis Stevens, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, joins the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Lisa Lawson to discuss how mentorship transforms lives. From breaking cycles of poverty to promoting equity and inclusion, Stevens highlights BBBSA’s innovative programs and vision for the future. Tune in to hear how mentorship creates opportunity and empowers youth to thrive.

Learn more at https://www.aecf.org/blog/mentorship-as-a-pathway-to-opportunity-a-conversation-with-artis-stevens

The Power of Mentorship: A Conversation with Artis Stevens

What if Medicaid could do more than cover doctor visits? What if it could change lives? In this episode of CaseyCast, public health expert Alex Briscoe joins host Lisa Lawson to explore how rethinking Medicaid can unlock better mental health care, build a more diverse workforce and empower young people.

Alex shares the story of EMS Corps, a program he helped launch that trains young adults — many with experience in foster care or juvenile justice — to become emergency medical technicians. With mentorship, stipends and real career options, EMS Corps is proving that workforce development can be a healing intervention. Hear how this model is scaling nationally — and what it takes to turn policy into purpose.

How Medicaid and EMS Corps Are Creating New Futures for Young People | Alex Briscoe on CaseyCast

Lisa Lawson, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, introduces her new book Thrive: How the Science of the Adolescent Brain Helps Us Imagine a Better Future for All Children. In this special short episode, Lisa shares why adolescence is not just a challenge to navigate but an opportunity to help young people ages 14 to 24 flourish — and previews upcoming CaseyCast conversations inspired by the book.

Introducing Thrive: A Special CaseyCast Episode With Lisa Lawson

Adolescence is a time of both vulnerability and possibility. UCLA professor Adriana Galván — a leading researcher on the adolescent brain — joins Casey Foundation President & CEO Lisa Lawson to discuss how brain science can guide education, justice, and social systems to better support young people on their path to adulthood.

Adriana Galván on the Adolescent Brain, Stress and Systems that Support Young People

Nicole “Nikki” Clifton, president of social impact at UPS and president of the UPS Foundation, joins the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Lisa Lawson to discuss how companies can support young people through jobs, mentoring and community partnerships — from delivering vaccines to fighting trafficking to creating career pathways.

Nicole Clifton on How Employers Can Help Young People Thrive

Lisa Hamilton, Vice President of External Affairs at The Annie E. Casey Foundation, interviews Manuel Pastor, on the subject of "Race, Equity and a Changing Child Population."  Manuel is a leading researcher, champion of racial and economic equity, and a noted professor of sociology in American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California.

Learn more about this episode at https://www.aecf.org/blog/go-ahead-hit-play-caseys-new-podcast-tackles-race-immigration-and-inequality/.

Manuel Pastor on Race, Equity and a Changing Child Population

Lisa Hamilton, Vice President of External Affairs at the Annie E. Casey Foundation interviews Tanya Krupat, Program Director at The Osborne Association on The Impact of Parental Incarceration with Tanya Krupat.

Learn more about this episode at https://www.aecf.org/blog/caseycast-podcast-tackles-a-silent-issue-parental-incarceration/.

Tanya Krupat on The Impact of Parental Incarceration

As the founder and executive director of StriveTogether, Jeff Edmondson built a network of communities committed to using collective impact to support the academic success of every child. In this episode of CaseyCast, the Foundation’s Lisa Hamilton asks Edmondson — now the managing director of Ballmer Group — about his time at StriveTogether. They discuss the lessons that Edmondson learned during his 12 years at the nonprofit’s helm, including the art of falling forward and the benefits of starting small.

To learn more about this CaseyCast episode, visit https://www.aecf.org/blog/jeff-edmondson-on-getting-communities-to-work-together-to-get-results/.

Jeff Edmonson Talks Collective Impact

Casey’s Lisa Hamilton recently spoke to the Human Rights Campaign’s Ellen Kahn about why LGBTQ youth are disproportionately overrepresented in foster care, what challenges these youth face, how agencies and families can offer better support — and more.

To learn more about this CaseyCast episode, visit https://www.aecf.org/blog/hrcs-ellen-kahn-talks-better-services-for-lgbtq-youth-in-care/.

Ellen Kahn Talks Better Care for LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care

Carla Javits is the president and CEO of REDF, a philanthropy that invests in employment-focused social enterprises. Casey’s Lisa Hamilton recently spoke with Javits about common employment barriers, the role of social enterprises in workforce development and how her organization plans to expand its range and impact.

To learn more about this CaseyCast episode, visit https://www.aecf.org/blog/carla-javits-is-focused-on-jobs-millions-of-them/.

REDF's Carla Javits on Workforce Development

The Casey Foundation’s Lisa Hamilton talks with William "Bill" Emmons, lead economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, about household income and wealth and the roles that race, age and education play in shaping family savings, debts and assets. Emmons also explains how changes in the economy — coupled with rising education costs and a shift away from pension plans — have made it harder for young adults and families to build wealth in America today.

To learn more about this CaseyCast episode, visit https://www.aecf.org/blog/economist-bill-emmons-its-a-lot-tougher-to-be-young-these-days/.

The Federal Reserve's Bill Emmons Talks Family Finances

The world of work is constantly changing, and gig jobs are on the rise. It’s an evolution that Sarah Currid, managing director of Samaschool, knows well. The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Lisa Hamilton recently spoke with Currid about this work and innovative ways to help low-income workers leverage gig jobs to build a brighter, stronger future for their families.

Learn more about this CaseyCast episode at https://www.aecf.org/blog/the-future-of-workforce-development-samaschool-is-thinking-gig/.

Sarah Currid on Preparing Workers for the Gig Economy

In this episode of CaseyCast, host Lisa Hamilton interviews criminal justice and youth development expert David Muhammad, who serves as the executive director of the nonprofit National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. Their conversation explores the failures of juvenile probation, the value of age-appropriate interventions and the importance of putting youth and their families at the center of this work.

David Muhammad on Rethinking Juvenile Probation

Casey's Lisa Hamilton talks with Cheryl Washington, president and CEO of East Baltimore Development Inc., a nonprofit charged with overseeing the transformation of a once-disinvested neighborhood in Baltimore. Their conversation explores how the community has evolved so far, how residents shaped the project in unexpected ways and what other cities should know about tackling large-scale urban renewal work.

Learn more at https://www.aecf.org/blog/cheryl-washington-on-rebuilding-east-baltimore-and-its-future-podcast/

Cheryl Washington and Transforming East Baltimore

In this episode of CaseyCast, Lisa Hamilton, the Annie E. Casey Foundation's president and CEO, interviews Dr. David Nichols, who is a pediatrician and president and CEO of the American Board of Pediatrics. Their conversation covers a wide range of topics, including the rise in mental health issues among kids, the importance of the 2020 census and the pivotal role that parents play in child well-being.

Learn more at https://www.aecf.org/blog/dr-david-nichols-talks-child-health-gains-and-challenges/.

Dr. David Nichols Talks Child Health Trends

In this episode of CaseyCast, Annie E. Casey Foundation President and CEO Lisa Hamilton interviews William Thorne Jr., a member of the Pomo and Coast Miwok Indian tribes and a retired juvenile justice judge with 34 years of experience in tribal and state courts. Their conversation explores how past federal policies have harmed American Indian children, the biggest challenges facing tribal communities today, and what these communities are doing to help their own families heal.

Judge William Thorne on the History and Healing of American Indian Families

In this episode of CaseyCast, Annie E. Casey Foundation President and CEO Lisa Hamilton interviews Independent Sector President and CEO Dan Cardinali. Their conversation explores the nonprofit sector and how it is driving change for the public good.

To learn more, visit https://www.aecf.org/blog/dan-cardinali-on-big-bets-supporting-democracy-and-driving-impact-podcast/.

Dan Cardinali on Civil Society’s Powerful Role in Promoting the Public Good

In this episode of CaseyCast, the Foundation’s Lisa Hamilton chats with economist Arthur Brooks about what kids, families and communities need to flourish.  Their conversation covers — among other topics — the benefits of engaging marginalized populations, the need to rethink the proverbial pursuit of happiness, and the merits of detoxing from national politics.

Arthur Brooks on Happiness, American Politics and the Power of the Periphery

In this episode of CaseyCast, Casey Foundation President & CEO Lisa Hamilton talks with Thaddeus Ferber, executive vice president at The Forum for Youth Investment. Their conversation explores the benefits of adolescence, the shortage of leaders focused on helping young people thrive, and the importance of adults elevating youth voices and then getting out of their way.

Learn more at https://www.aecf.org/blog/thaddeus-ferber-on-helping-young-people-grow-lead-and-thrive/.

Thaddeus Ferber on Helping Young People Grow, Lead and Thrive

Welcome to the Annie E. Casey Foundation podcast. A monthly conversation focusing on how all of us can work together to build a brighter future for kids, families and communities. Hosted by Lisa Hamilton, the Foundation's President & CEO.

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