Good Things from Lemonada

Last November, ICE and Border Patrol swept through North Carolina, bringing raids, detentions, and violence to immigrant communities. Workers stayed home, church pews emptied out, and thousands of kids missed school. Nearly a year after that initial crackdown, host Maya Rupert sits down with Siembra NC Co-Director Nikki Marín Baena to talk about her organization’s efforts to protect immigrants and the ripple effects they’re still feeling today. From ICE verifier trainings to workplace protections, Nikki shares how Siembra is not only building strong communities, but advocating for a government that makes all of our lives better. Marguerite Casey Foundation supports efforts, leaders, scholars, and initiatives focused on shifting the balance of power in government—building power for communities that continue to be excluded from shaping how society works and from sharing in its rewards and freedoms. Its board members, leadership, and staff are committed to building a just economy and fully realized democracy, and to providing unfettered support to the bold strategies and leadership that are required to bring about major change in our lifetime. Learn more at caseygrants.org or visit @Casey.Grants on Instagram. To access toolkits and lessons from Siembra’s work on the ground, visit defendandrecruit.org. Check out fourthworkplace.org to learn more about legal rights at your workplace and community.

What does it take to ensure every child receives the same high quality education? School districts across the country are working to answer that question—and are seeing major improvements to student outcomes. In this episode, we share the story of Guilford County Schools in North Carolina, one of twelve districts featured in All Systems Go, a landmark research project from The Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL) at Columbia University that seeks to uncover how districts are achieving major math and reading gains. To unpack what that research reveals, host Gloria Riviera sits down with Liz Chu, Executive Director of CPRL and Senior Research Scholar and Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School, and Dr. Whitney Oakley, Superintendent of Guilford County Schools. This episode is created in partnership with Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Learn more about All Systems Go by visiting itsallsystemsgo.com

Most people think of pollution as something outside, like smog and exhaust. But gas stoves, ovens, furnaces, and water heaters can actually release nitrogen dioxide directly into your home. For renters, that's a problem without easy solutions: unlike homeowners, they can't simply swap in safer, cleaner energy sources, and landlords and policymakers have been slow to act. In this episode, host Gloria Riviera speaks with Adama Moussa Harouna and Tanushree Dutta Isaacman, organizers at Action in Montgomery, about their work pushing for safer living conditions, lower toxic emissions, and a more sustainable energy future for renters. This episode was made in partnership with Action in Montgomery. To learn more about their work, visit actioninmontgomery.org

What would your life look like if you could actually take paid time off when you needed it most? The reality is, millions of Americans can’t – not for illness, a family emergency, or even a new baby. For parents with an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), this is especially challenging: they use up whatever leave they have while their baby is in the hospital, with nothing left for when they come home. But one state is changing that: Colorado. Starting in January 2026, qualifying workers with a baby in the NICU can access additional paid leave on top of what the state already offers. In this episode, host Gloria Riviera sits down with Jared Make, Vice President at A Better Balance, the legal advocacy nonprofit behind this landmark win, to explore how Colorado is leading the way for working families. This episode is created in partnership with Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Learn more about A Better Balance work by visiting abetterbalance.org

What if we recognized the importance of teens as leaders today, and not just in the future? That's exactly what BBYO, the global Jewish teen movement, has been doing for over a century: bringing young Jewish people together and empowering them to lead in the organization, their communities and beyond. In this episode, host Gloria Riviera sits down with BBYO's current teen presidents, Logan Reich and Mercedes Benzaquen, to hear about their leadership, experience managing elections at BBYO’s International Convention this year, and what the record-breaking number of teen candidates says about young people's motivation to engage today. Together, they show us what meaningful youth leadership looks like, why participating in real democratic processes is so powerful, and what other organizations can learn from a movement that trusts teens to lead. This episode is created in partnership with Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Learn how your teen can get involved in BBYO and be inspired by the role teen voices can play in shaping your community at bbyo.org/get-involved