Guest– Joe Fiveash
Ep. 147: “Can We Talk?”: Teaching High Schoolers the Art of Civil Dialogue
Chapters
[00:00] Intro to Joe Fiveash and his background in digital media
[02:30] How Introships started — a group of Atlanta parents pooling their kids for office rotations
[06:00] Why “intro-ships” come before internships — helping students explore before they commit
[09:30] Joe's philosophy on work and career as a foundation for a fulfilling life
[13:00] How the program works for students, and the three groups who participate
[18:00] Addressing the internship access gap — leveling the playing field for first-generation students
[21:30] How the program has grown — and why Joe is intentional about not scaling too fast
[24:00] The four parts of the program: aptitude testing, live presentations, group coaching, and one-on-one debriefs
[29:00] Why storytelling from real professionals matters more than databases and career quizzes
[33:00] Reflections on working with young people — optimism, energy, and “not knowing what they don't know”
[35:30] How AI is reshaping career interest — and why students are wary but employers see opportunity
[39:00] The importance of mentorship and horizontal relationships in career growth
[42:00] Building a growing alumni network — from 120 presenters to a broader career-support ecosystem
[46:00] How to get involved — as a student, presenter, or donor
Joe Fiveash — a longtime digital media executive with stops at the Weather Channel, IBMWatson, and Raycom Media — joins Bill Burke to talk about Introships, the nonprofit he now leads that helps college students figure out what career path is right for them before they chase a traditional internship. What started over a decade ago as a handful of Atlanta parents pooling their kids together for office rotations has grown into a structured program now serving students nationwide. Joe walks through how Intro ships works — combining personality and career aptitude testing, live presentations from professionals across dozens of industries, weekly group coaching, and one-on-one guidance — all designed to help students identify the intersection of what they're good at, what genuinely interests them, and what can support a living. He also discusses how the program intentionally opens doors for first-generation college students who don't have built-in industry connections, why human-to-human relationships still matter in an AI-driven hiring landscape, and why spending time with young people leaves him more optimistic about the future, not less.
John and Lowell share the origin story of the project, how it's expanded into events like Can We Connect? (which brings 250+ students together at the Augusta Civic Center), and how students themselves are taking the work into their own hands-organizing intergenerational dialogues, community conversations, and even a nationwide online class built around the question, “Is American democracy on fire?” It's a hopeful, practical look at how young people are relearning face-to-face conversation in a digital, polarized world.
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