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Artwork for Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact

Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact

Eric Ressler
Social Impact
Social Impact Organizations
Community Engagement
Fundraising
Marketing
Rebranding
Leadership
Strategic Planning
Philanthropy
Transactional Marketing
Storytelling
Climate Change
Work-Life Balance
Brand Building
Funding
Nonprofit Sector
Decision Making
Non-Profits
Cosmic
Organizational Culture

Designing Tomorrow explores a new playbook for modern social impact leaders and brands to reach their true impact potential.

Why do some social impact brands thrive, while so many others fail to get traction, build support for their cause, and make meaningful progress? Imagine your impact with truly sustainable revenue and resources. With deeper community engagement and relationships. With more... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes109Founded3 years ago
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Non-ProfitBusinessMarketing

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Artwork for Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact

Latest Episodes

Plenty of people still picture a museum as a quiet building with art on the walls and a staff whose job is to guard what's inside. Victoria Munro, Executive Director of the Alice Austen House, sees an advantage in that assumption: because museums loo... more

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Social impact teams are happy to experiment. Where they struggle is admitting when the experiment fails. Jonathan and I dig into what design thinking and the scientific method can teach the sector, and why our refusal to name failure may be the thing... more

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Philanthropy takes heat for being slow to move money, and learning usually gets the blame. 

Katherine Haugh, founder of the Convive Collective and a learning partner to some of the largest climate-focused philanthropies in the US and Europe, thinks ... more

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Sandy Gould has spent 36 years studying where people's "superpowers" come from, and his answer is simple: the thing that makes you different is the same thing that lets you create what no one else can. In this conversation with Eric Ressler, the long... more

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Recent Guests

Victoria Munro
Museum executive director and curator, advocate for inclusive, participatory programming
Alice Austen House
Episode: Museums Can Be a Force for Social Change
Catherine Howe
Founder of the Convive Collective
Convive Collective
Episode: Learning Isn't What's Slowing Philanthropy Down
Sandy Gool
Author of Inner Lightning, Unleashing Your Superpowers
GLAD (advancing LGBTQ+ rights and representation)
Episode: Your Difference Is the Superpower
Michelle Moog Cusa
Executive Director of the Moog Foundation
Moog Foundation / Moguseum (Moogseum)
Episode: Run Your Nonprofit Like a Scientist
Kristin Todd
Philanthropy leader transitioning from a large private foundation to a community foundation
NoCo Foundation (Northern Colorado)
Episode: Money in Motion, Not Money Warehoused
Sarah Gillard
CEO of Blueprint for Better Business, former head of purpose strategy at John Lewis Partnership
Blueprint for Better Business
Episode: Can Business Actually Be a Force for Good?
Saralynn Finn
Guest expert discussing narrative change and campaign design
Episode: Feelings Don't Drive Change
Joelle Lester
Executive Director, Public Health Law Center
Public Health Law Center
Episode: Integrity Alone Will Get You Outplayed
Joel Breakstone
Co-founder and executive director of the Digital Inquiry Group (spun out of Stanford)
Digital Inquiry Group / Stanford History Education Group
Episode: Trust No One Is Exactly What Authoritarians Want

Hosts

Eric Ressler
Host of the show; founder & creative director at Cosmic; focuses on branding, strategy, and social impact.
Jonathan Hicken
Co-host and executive director with a background in marine science outreach and nonprofit leadership.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 21 ratings
  • A totally different show

    I’ve listened to a bunch of different shows in the social impact space, but I keep coming back to this one. The first season was completely unique, where Eric gives away his entire playbook he uses with his clients for free — in detail!

    Season 2 and onward Eric is joined by a cohost (Jonathan) who is an Executive Director at a nonprofit. The dynamic between the two and their different perspectives are great and they cover topics and ideas that no one else is really talking about in the space.

    more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Social Impact Exec
    United States2 years ago
  • Insightful, clear & inspiring

    So glad I came across this podcast! I’m starting a new role as a Content Strategist for a social impact company and am finding these succinct, value-packed episodes so helpful. And the kind, straightforward approach of the host is really refreshing as a lot of what I tend to come across in the marketing space is edgy, hype-y or so full of jargon I can’t understand it. So thanks very much - your content is a real gift!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LMSchnee
    United States2 years ago
  • Invaluable insights for a new nonprofit startup

    As a recent founder of a nonprofit in mental health with zero experience in corporate, marketing or digital design, it only took a couple of episodes to realise I need to completely rethink the way I’m doing this. Thank you for the perspective shift and critical information, while I’m still early on in the process!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Pavlek Sun
    Australia3 years ago
  • Brilliant insights!

    As the leader of a small nonprofit, looking to up our game regarding how we communicate with our community and the world, Eric’s insights and clear directions about strategy are music to my ears. I highly recommend subscribing to this podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Agrinemsors
    United States3 years ago
  • The social impact podcast you’ve been looking for🤩

    THIS is the modern, elevated conversation playbook nonprofits, B Corp, social enterprise anyone looking to do good needs. Eric Ressler is one of the foremost experts on this topic, and he flexes his brilliance in strategy, brand amplification, practical tips, tools “how the heck do I do this” teaching so you walk away from every episode armed with something to activate. Best part? It’s all entirely human built in empathy empowers the listener - no matter where they are in the journey. ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Clawyer1722
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Common feedback notes the show helps nonprofit founders rethink branding and fundraising strategies.
Positive reception of practical, playbook-style insights and real-world applicability.
Listeners praise the host's straightforward, no-jargon approach and value the actionable tactics.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Your Difference Is the Superpower
Q: What are the big themes Sandy has observed about activating superpowers and leadership today?
The themes include the centrality of origin stories to motivation, the importance of differentiating through authentic identity, and the role of experiential learning, dialogue, and belief in enabling people to translate personal strengths into organizational impact.
Integrity Alone Will Get You Outplayed
Q: What are merchants of doubt, and how did the tobacco industry historically deploy them to influence public health policy?
They funded independent-sounding research and publicized conflicting studies to cast doubt, while simultaneously blocking or downplaying evidence of harm, thereby slowing regulatory action and accountability.
Trust No One Is Exactly What Authoritarians Want
Q: What is getting in the way of solving this problem at scale?
We have evidence that approaches work, but education systems lack digital literacy as a formal subject, and mandates often come with resources gaps, so integration and materials development are key.
Trust No One Is Exactly What Authoritarians Want
Q: Was the internet a huge mistake, Joel?
No, it's an incredibly powerful tool; the work shows we need to teach people, especially the young, how to use it well to mitigate harms and maximize benefits.
Who Actually Gets a Seat at the Table?
Q: How do you reconcile a democratic, participatory approach with the need to make decisive decisions that affect real lives?
By investing in preparatory engagement and avoiding binary framing, recognizing that 'the community' is diverse and collaborative decision-making must be data-driven and compassionate. It's about creating space for voices, yet making tough calls when evidence and values indicate a clear path forward, even if not everyone will be pleased.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Designing Tomorrow presents a practical playbook for social impact leaders and brands aiming to amplify their real-world impact through sustainable revenue, community engagement, and stronger storytelling. Across episodes, the conversation centers on brand strategy for nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, balancing donor priorities with community needs, and turning visibility into measurable outcomes. Notable strengths include candid, battle-tested tactics from a creative agency focused on social impact, practical frameworks for governance and campaigns, and a willingness to challenge buzzwords with grounded, actionable steps. The show often features leaders from foundations, nonprofits, and social enterprises, plus expert guests wh... more

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this podcast launched 3 years ago and published 109 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Victoria Munro
2. Catherine Howe
3. Sandy Gool
4. Michelle Moog Cusa
5. Kristin Todd
6. Sarah Gillard
7. Saralynn Finn
8. Joelle Lester

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