Rephonic
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
Decision Making
Non-Profits
Nonprofits
Organizational Culture
Marketing Strategies

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes95Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
MarketingNon-ProfitBusiness

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact

Latest Episodes

There's a number treated like gospel in philanthropy: the 5% annual payout private foundations are required to hit. It was written into law as a floor. 

Kristin Todd has watched it become a ceiling instead. After nearly two decades at the Daniels Fu... more

YouTube

Everyone keeps predicting the death of the website. First it was social, now it is AI. But it is still the one channel you actually own and control, which is exactly what makes it your most durable asset. So when a site has gone untouched for five ye... more

YouTube

For the last 50 years, we've operated under a single dominant idea: the purpose of business is to maximize shareholder value. But what if this whole era of extraction and short-termism isn't the natural order at all? What if it's just a blip? Sarah G... more

YouTube

Jonathan recently learned that the Seymour Center is about to absorb a permanent new expense in the $150,000 to $200,000 range. On a $2.2 million operating budget, that's roughly 10% of the whole thing, and it's not a one-time hit. 

The instinct for... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
If Books Could Kill
If Books Could KillMichael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri
Maintenance Phase
Maintenance PhaseAubrey Gordon & Michael Hobbes
Pod Save America
Pod Save AmericaPod Save America

Recent Guests

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
Taylor Stuckert
CEO of Lead for America
Lead for America
Episode: Who Actually Gets a Seat at the Table?
Tina-Marie Gulley
Executive at Ada Developers Academy, education technology leader
Ada Developers Academy
Episode: AI Doesn't Know What Empathy Looks Like
Brady Josephson
Head of Growth and Innovation at Charity Water
Charity: Water
Episode: Inside charity:water's Big Brand Bet
Heather Mason
Founder of Caspian and creator of the Impact Lounge
Caspian
Episode: Storytelling Needs an Ecosystem
Aaron Dorfman
President and CEO of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
CHANGE Philanthropy (Level Up campaign)
Episode: Philanthropy Can Afford to Give More

Hosts

Eric Ressler
Host and founder/creative director at Cosmic; leads strategy and creative direction for social impact brands.
Jonathan Hicken
Co-host and executive director of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center; brings expertise in nonprofit governance and science communication.

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
    Australia2 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 States2 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 States2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Clear, value-packed episodes with actionable guidance for nonprofits and brands.
Appealing to leaders seeking to scale impact through brand and storytelling.
Thoughtful, practical playbook for social impact marketing and fundraising.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

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.
Who Actually Gets a Seat at the Table?
Q: How did you transition into the CEO role at Lead for America and what did you learn about inheriting an organization?
I approached it as a steward of the mission, honoring the founders' sweat equity while expanding leadership pipelines to multiple communities. I focused on listening, maintaining respect for the original work, and shifting the narrative to center on the places we serve, ensuring the organization adapts to current needs and future horizons while keeping the mission authentic.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

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

Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact curates conversations with senior nonprofit leaders, brand strategists, and industry experts who are shaping social impact in the attention economy. Episodes commonly explore how to design campaigns, storytelling ecosystems, and governance models that move audiences from awareness to action, while balancing transparency, integrity, and funding realities. A standout angle is practical, implementable guidance — from narrative design and brand strategy to measuring brand-led growth for mission-driven organizations — with real-world case studies from notable nonprofits and social enterprises. Listeners are likely drawn to actionable frameworks, hands-on tactics, and discussions with gues... more

Where can I find podcast stats for this podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to this podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does this podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for this podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for this podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for this podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does this podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers this podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. The Daily
2. If Books Could Kill
3. Maintenance Phase
4. Pod Save America

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 2 years ago and published 95 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact this podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for this podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for this podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for this podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of this podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Sarah Gillard
2. Saralynn Finn
3. Joelle Lester
4. Joel Breakstone
5. Taylor Stuckert
6. Tina-Marie Gulley
7. Brady Josephson
8. Heather Mason

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days