All About Change

Jay is more than just the host of All About Change podcast. He is a lawyer and international activist, who has focused his life’s work on seeking social justice by advocating for the rights of people with disabilities worldwide. On the special episode of All About Change, Mijon Zulu, the managing producer of the "All About Change" podcast, is taking over hosting duties to interview Jay Ruderman about his new book, his activist journey, and why activism is even more important today. Episode Chapters (0:00) intro (02:38) How does one choose a cause to go after? (03:33) Jay’s path to activism (07:50) Practical steps a new activist can take (09:24) Confrontation vs trolling (17:36) Learning from activists operating in different sectors (19:20) Resilience in activism (22:24) Reflections on Find Your Fight and goodbye For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/ Looking for more insights into the world of activism? Be sure to check out Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at www.jayruderman.com.

Alexis Tutunnique is a ballet dancer, a graduate of the Kyiv National Ballet School, a member of the United Ukrainian Ballet Company, and the subject of the recent documentary Front Row. In Front Row, Alexis befriends and invites Sascha, a former Ukrainian soldier who lost his legs in a bombing, to join the dance troupe for a performance in LA. Jay and Alexis discuss the state of cultural activism, the way Ukrainian artists and soldiers inspire each other, and Ukraine’s national identity post-2022. Episode Chapters (00:00) Welcome & Introduction (01:00) Ballet as a Form of Cultural Activism (05:00) From Russia to Exile: Alexis’ Journey (09:00) Severed Ties: Russian Friends and Propaganda (10:00) A Soldier’s Journey to the Ballet (14:00) Cultural Activism’s Emotional Impact (16:00) The Limits of Cultural Activism (20:00) Defining Victory for Ukraine (23:00) Final Thoughts and Goodbye For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/ Looking for more insights into the world of activism? Be sure to check out Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at www.jayruderman.com.

Chris Nowinski is a former football player at Harvard University and professional wrestler with WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment.  After enduring a career-ending head injury, Chris has dedicated his professional life to serving patients and families affected by brain trauma, particularly Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that develops after repeated head injuries. Jay and Chris discuss the state of head injuries in American athletics, the difference between advocating for head safety at youth and professional levels, Chris’ newest research, and much more. Episode Chapters (00:00) Intro (00:50) changes in the culture around concussions in the past two decades (02:39) padded helmet technology (03:55) concussion reporting in the NFL (10:35) Chris’ career path and concussion history (14:52) connecting with activists who haven’t themselves suffered a traumatic brain injury (17:42) SHAAKE - a new sign to identify concussions (20:53) Unions can help players advocate for safety policies (23:10) final thoughts and goodbye For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/ Looking for more insights into the world of activism? Be sure to check out Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at www.jayruderman.com.

Tyler Merritt is a Nashville-based actor, comedian, vocalist, and creator of The Tyler Merritt Project. He believes empathy is a powerful tool to fight injustice and encourages people to step out of the anonymity of social media and engage in face-to-face conversations. Using his creativity, Tyler Merritt challenges racism and promotes empathy.  In 2018, Tyler's viral video "Before You Call The Cops" (released by The Tyler Merritt Project) was viewed by over 18 million people worldwide and voted one of the Top 20 videos of the year by NowThisPolitics. In 2020, “Before You Call the Cops” recirculated and has since been viewed by over 60 million people and has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, MSNBC Live, and Access Hollywood.  Jay and Tyler discuss the idea of activism through storytelling, the way cancer impacted Tyler’s activist journey, and much more. Learn more about the Tyler Merritt Project here. Episode Chapters (00:00) Intro (02:05) Tyler’s new book, “This Changes Everything” (08:50) How does religion influence Tyler’s activism? (12:14) Tyler’s “Strong Black Man Mode” (14:37) Navigating criticism  (18:01) Growing into activism (21:05 ) Pathways to leadership for future generations  (24:26) The state of communication in America (26:02) What should we focus on now? (28:13 ) Goodbye and outro For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/ Looking for more insights into the world of activism? Be sure to check out Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at www.jayruderman.com.

Joe Bates is a member of the Bad River Band, a Native American Tribe residing along Lake Superior in Wisconsin. He and his community have been embroiled in a long-standing legal and public relations battle against Enbridge, a Canadian energy company, to protect their ancestral lands. This struggle has been documented in "Bad River," a documentary film released in early 2024, which showcases Bates and his fellow activists within the band. Joe joins Jay to share his personal journey of activism, the profound influence of past generations of tribal and environmental activists on his own path, and the ongoing fight against Enbridge, which affects the future of water protection in America. To learn more about the Bad River Band, click here. Episode Chapters (00:00) - Intro (01:19) - Joe’s activist history (04:31) - The connection between the Bad River Band and their land (10:06) - How did Enbridge come to have pipes under native land against the Bad River Band’s wishes? (14:00) - The threat’s Enbridge’s Line 5 poses to the environment (18:10) - “You can’t put a price tag on what we have. What we have is priceless.” (19:23) - Joe and Jay discuss the documentary “Bad River” (22:58) - Thank you and goodbye For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/ Looking for more insights into the world of activism? Be sure to check out Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at www.jayruderman.com.