Kathryn Anne Edwards, a labor economist and co-host ofOptimist Economy, discusses economic optimism, career paths, and the impact of policy on the American economy. She shares her insights on the job market and AI, and explains how her work is motivated by a belief in the importance of investing in children and families to build a stronger economic future. She argues for strategic public spending and challenges common economic narratives.

Adam Mastroianni says he likes to "study how people perceive and misperceive their social worlds, from the person sitting across the table to the whole country buzzing around them." In this Blue Sky conversation, Dr. Mastroianni describes research he and a colleague conducted that demonstrates that human beings falsely assume that the world used to be better, and that we continue to decline in terms of moral standards and civil behavior. This cognitive "bug" he has detected can lead us to develop a more pessimistic view of the world and also leaves us more susceptible to believe in the message of autocrats who promise to take us back to a time when the world – and people – were somehow better than they are today. Adam's insights are fascinating, as are the techniques he uses in his research, and he explains his findings and observations with great wit and wisdom.

Once an ironman athlete and perfectionist, Risa August faced a devastating diagnosis that stripped away her former life. This is the story of how she found new purpose and adventure, transforming her approach to life, from rigid achievement to joyful discovery, even with her unexpected companion,“Bubba,”her brain tumor.

Dr. Kenneth (Ken) Harris is an experienced practitioner of holistic medicine and author of the book, Synchronicity. In this Blue Sky conversation, Ken describes the subtle but important difference he sees between coincidence and synchronicity and tells why he thinks it's important for all of us to connect actively with others, leaving ourselves open to the mysterious and positive connections that can be made between people. As someone who was once clinically dead following a heart attack and had an "out of body" experience, Ken describes his appreciation for life and how fleeting our time here is. His enthusiasm and positivity are infectious and the ideas and anecdotes he shares here are thought-provoking and uplifting.

When Eddie Ndopu was two years old, his mother was told he wouldn’t likely live past five. Now in his early thirties, Eddie is an internationally-known and Oxford-educated advocate for the rights of the disabled. In this interview, he shares how his optimistic single mother instilled in Eddie a love of learning and encouraged him to pursue a “life of the mind.” Today, Eddie is world-renowned and was hand-selected by the UN Secretary General to be one of 17 people selected as an SDG Advocate. Reflecting on his new memoir, Eddie describes how he wrote his book, typing with his “one good finger on an iPhone,” and why he hopes this book will inspire others to be more understanding and supportive of people living with disabilities.

In this very special episode of Blue Sky, Steve D. tells the remarkable story of his struggle against his son’s severe addiction to alcohol. (Steve is not using his full name here to protect his son’s anonymity.) While living what he would describe as a near perfect life –great marriage with his high school sweetheart, dream job, five great children –Steve discovers that his youngest child is struggling with an addiction that has driven him to the point of attempting to take his own life. Almost overnight, Steve’s world is turned upside down as he and his wife try to face their new reality and save their son. With striking honesty, Steve describes his family’s heartbreaking and terrifying challenges, and why he left his WallStreet job to study addiction and make helping others in this predicament his life’s work. Looking back now, the optimist in Steve describes his son’s struggles as “a gift,” and you’ll understand why when you hear his story.

A content note: this episode includes discussion of severe addiction and suicide.

Jeff Korzenik, the chief economist at a major US bank, explains how predicting a labor shortage in the US led him to discover the growing movement around “second chance” hiring of people with criminal records. His passion for this work led him to write “Untapped Talent,” a book that explains to companies the benefits of this type of hiring and offers a blueprint of how best to do it. Jeff describes how second chance hiring can transform lives and communities.

LaTosha Brown has been described by many as a “force of nature,” and from the first seconds of this Blue Sky episode, you will understand why. Raised in Selma, Alabama she grew up surrounded by family members who were at the center of the civil rights movement in the United States. Being close to grandparents who spent much of their adult lives unable to vote led her to appreciate this franchise and their example continues to inspire her “get out the vote” work today. LaTosha describes being raised by strong women and not experiencing overt sexism until she ran for office in Alabama, but instead of letting this get her down, she channeled these experiences into the creation of the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium. LaTosha Brown also happens to be a talented singer and performer, and she shares this gift with us here as well.