Political Hope

https://nonprofit.ventures/ https://www.cultivatingself.org/ Dr. Melanie Rieback is the CEO/Co-founder of Radically Open Security, the world's first non-profit computer security consultancy company. She is also a former Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the Free University of Amsterdam (VU) who performed RFID security research (RFID Virus and RFID Guardian), that attracted worldwide press coverage and won several awards (Mediakomeet, ISOC Award, NWO I/O award, IEEE Percom Best Paper, USENIX Lisa Best Paper). Melanie worked as a Senior Engineering Manager on XenClient at Citrix, where she led their Vancouver office. She was also the head researcher in the CSIRT at ING Bank, where she spearheaded their Analysis Lab and the ING Core Threat Intelligence Project. For fun, she co-founded the Dutch Girl Geek Dinner in 2008. Melanie was named 2010 ICT Professional of the Year (Finalist) by WomeninIT, one of the 400 most successful women in the Netherlands by Viva Magazine (Viva400) in 2010 and 2017, one of the fifty most inspiring women in tech (Inspiring Fifty Netherlands) in 2016, 2017, and 2019. She was also called the Most Innovative IT Leader by CIO Magazine NL (TIM Award) in 2017 and one of the 9 Most Innovative Women in the European Union (EU Women Innovators Prize) in 2019. Her company, Radically Open Security, was named the 50th Most Innovative SME by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (MKB Innovative Top 100) in 2016.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrieback/ https://www.radicallyopensecurity.com/  

https://indy4office.vercel.app/ https://www.cultivatingself.org/ Our guest today is Jess Rimington, a strategist, methodology designer, and co-author of the acclaimed book Beloved Economies: Transforming How We Work . With over a decade of leadership in global organizations and as a former Visiting Scholar at Stanford University, Jess has dedicated her career to reimagining power-sharing, governance, and institutional design. Together with co-author Joanna Levitt Cea and over 200 collaborators, Jess's research surfaces seven transformative practices, reminding us that how we do our work is just as vital as what we produce. https://www.belovedeconomies.org/book-2 Free Book Overview ODF

Indy's Nov 3 political experiment: https://indy4office.vercel.app/  We are joined by Erinch Sahan. He spent years transforming global supply chains at Oxfam and advising pioneering enterprises across the globe, Erinch is at the forefront of the movement to re-engineer business and finance. In his new book, Brave New Capital, co-authored with Aunnie Patton Power, Erinch tackles the core design of financial vehicles, exploring how we can transform who owns, governs, and benefits from capital. He is here to show us that when we align enterprise structure with ecological boundaries and human needs, we can move from extractive economics to a regenerative commons. https://bravenewcapital.co/ https://indy4office.vercel.app/  

https://indy4office.vercel.app/ ... Through Bioticship, Kyle Ciullo leads a nature-tech strategy and bioregional development studio dedicated to accelerating nature-first enterprises, regenerative innovations, and place-based solutions. Drawing on over two decades of tech-enabled startup and enterprise experience, his work translates local intelligence into fundable, climate-resilient infrastructure, spanning nature-based consulting, business acceleration, and strategic growth blueprints that treat enterprises as living, regenerative systems. By bridging bioengineering, technology, and organizational design, Kyle helps impact-driven founders and organizations shift away from degenerative economics toward a holistic model that harmonizes nature, community, and triple-bottom-line value creation. https://bioticship.com/  

https://www.cultivatingself.org/ In this episode of Political Hope, host Indy Rishi Singh sits down with Nessa Richman, a 30-year veteran of domestic food systems change and the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council . Together, they explore how over 300 Food Policy Councils across the nation are acting as hidden engines for civic engagement, community health, and food sovereignty. Drawing from her new book, Food Policy Councils: Building Civic Engagement and Community Well-Being , Nessa breaks down how local communities can bridge political divides, build collective power, and transform their regional economies from the kitchen table to the town hall. 📚 Featured Resources & Links: Nessa's New Book: Grab a copy of Food Policy Councils: Building Civic Engagement and Community Well-Being via Routledge. Book Companion Site: Explore additional tools, praise, and insights at fpcbook.com . Rhode Island Food Policy Council: Learn more about Nessa's ongoing statewide leadership and policy initiatives at rifoodcouncil.org. Click "Launch Interactive Dashboard" to see current national food policy councils: https://foodpolicynetworks.org/councils National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: https://sustainableagriculture.net/

https://kismatforpeople.com/  https://www.butterflyonbooks.com/book-package/ben  https://www.cosmiclabyrinth.world/  We often look at our local tax and administrative offices as cold, bureaucratic black boxes. But what if we brought real-world, transparent leadership into the heart of our county systems, treating the public not as numbers, but as partners? Today, we are talking about transforming government operations from the ground up with Kismat Kathrani. Kismat is a software technology entrepreneur and community advocate who has built successful self-funded businesses and created thousands of jobs over the past 18 years. Now, he is stepping up to run for Contra Costa County Assessor with a powerful vision: to bring private-sector innovation, ethical leadership, and true data-driven modernization to a crucial office. He is here to break down how we can slash property tax appeal wait times through streamlined digital systems, safeguard our data, and restore public trust through complete transparency. https://www.contracostavote.gov/4026_en/  

https://www.markwinne.com/ https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/road-to-a-hungerfree-america-9798765132340/ https://www.cultivatingself.org/ Today, we are diving deep into the blueprints (or green prints) of food democracy with Mark Winne. For over forty years, Mark has been at the forefront of the food justice movement, bridging the gap between grassroots activism and structural policy. As a co-founder of some of the nation's very first Food Policy Councils, he took food out of the realm of simple charity and turned it into an act of local self-governance. Through his acclaimed books like Food Town, USA, Food Rebels, Guerrilla Gardeners, and Smart Cookin' Mamas and Closing the Food Gap, Mark has spent decades documenting how communities can reclaim their food systems from corporate monopolies. His work proves that when you organize municipal food policy around equity, you don't just feed people—you build community wealth, improve public health, and revitalize local economies. He is here to remind us that a resilient democracy begins at the kitchen table and the town hall.

In this episode of Political Hope, we explore the radical reimagining of farming and community economics through the visionary work of The Farmers Land Trust. Co-founder Ian McSweeney brings his deep expertise in real estate and conservation to dismantle traditional ownership models, crafting the legal and financial blueprints necessary to liberate land from the speculative market. Alongside him, co-founder Kristina Villa leverages her experience as a farmer and communicator to center equity and storytelling, ensuring that land access serves as a foundation for social justice and community health. Together, they are pioneering the "Farmland Commons," a transformative approach that decommodifies the earth to create a permanent, community-held resource for generations of regenerative growers. https://www.thefarmerslandtrust.org/ ... https://www.thefarmerslandtrust.org/templates/ ... https://www.youtube.com/@TheFarmersLandTrust ... https://www.cultivatingself.org/indyrishisingh ... https://buenavidacoffeeroasters.com/en/product/cultivating-self/ ... https://www.butterflyonbooks.com/book-package/ben  

https://www.cultivatingself.org/ https://buenavidacoffeeroasters.com/en/product/cultivating-self/  In this episode of Political Hope, we sit down with Christina Hildebrand, the visionary founder of A Voice for Choice Advocacy (AVFCA) , to explore the front lines of medical freedom and consumer transparency. A relentless force in Sacramento, Christina has transformed grassroots concern into high-impact legislative action, championing the fundamental right to informed consent and bodily autonomy. From her landmark work on  AB 1989 for menstrual product transparency to her current leadership on SB 1266 to ban toxic bisphenols from children's products, Christina's efforts prove that dedicated advocacy can shift the political landscape. Join us as we celebrate her commitment to protecting health rights and learn how A Voice for Choice is empowering Californians to reclaim their agency in an era of expanding mandates. https://substack.com/@avoiceforchoice https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/about-avfc-avfca/ https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/more-meal-lunchtime-lesson-japans-shokuiku https://cafamiliesforhealthrights.org/    

https://buenavidacoffeeroasters.com/en/product/cultivating-self/  https://www.cultivatingself.org/  Let's explore the architecture of a more empathetic future alongside Alvin Graylin, a global tech visionary and co-author of Our Next Reality . Known for his viral TED Talks and leadership within the Virtual World Society, Alvin is a leading voice on the "Bridge to One" initiative, a movement using immersive technology to transcend physical boundaries and foster deep human connection. Drawing from his extensive work in XR and AI, Alvin presents a critical choice between three diverging paths for our species: a future dominated by tech-driven inequality, a descent into global conflict fueled by technological competition, or a collaborative "Bridge to One" that leverages technology for the common good. Join us as we discuss how we can steer toward this third direction, ensuring the next reality we inhabit is one of shared abundance rather than digital division. https://ournextreality.com/  https://substack.com/@awgraylin  https://www.virtualworldsociety.org/  https://www.ted.com/talks/alvin_w_graylin_manoush_zomorodi_3_possible_futures_for_ai_which_will_we_choose  https://www.virtualworldsociety.org/bridge-to-one  https://www.digitalistpapers.com/vol2/category/Alvin+W.+Graylin