Rephonic
Artwork for PathBreakers
Detroit
Memphis
Fresno
Memphis, United States
Kresge Foundation
South Memphis
Live Again Fresno
Community Power Collective
University Innovation Alliance
Climate Justice
Environmental Justice
New Orleans
Outlier Media
Live6 Alliance
Truck Routes
Knowledge Quest
Midsouth Development District
Higher Education
Education Innovation
Baby Bonds

PathBreakers is a video podcast from The Kresge Foundation featuring community leaders who are reimagining what's possible in American cities. Hosted by Tracey Pearson and Jamie Bennett, with special guest hosting by Rip Rapson, each episode is an intimate conversation about the vision and determination it takes to create change. Season 2 goes into four cities with one central question: Who has po... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes23Foundeda year ago
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Non-ProfitBusiness

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Artwork for PathBreakers

Latest Episodes

Anna McQuiston says the MidSouth is at a tipping point. While the region – which comprises 6 counties and 38 cities across West Tennessee, East Arkansas, and North Mississippi – has been facing population loss, it also has potential for upwards of 10... more

Most real estate developers have dollar signs in their eyes. But in the rare instance when the developers actually come from the communities being redeveloped, they are able to see the equations very differently. This is the case for father-daughter ... more

There’s a two-mile corridor along Walker Avenue in South Memphis that Marlon Foster calls The Knowledge Quest Kid Zone. It’s a multi-site neighborhood campus dedicated to holistically and measurably improving the lives of South Memphis kids and the p... more

Memphis is a city with serious momentum and serious ambition. Neighborhoods that were written off are being reinvested. Families who have been here for generations are choosing to stay and build. Leaders across sectors are making long-term bets on th... more

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Recent Guests

Anna McQuiston
Executive director of the MidSouth Development District
MidSouth Development District
Episode: Anna McQuiston is Toppling Barriers to Collaboration in the MidSouth
Archie Willis
Founder and president of Community Capital (ComCap Partners)
ComCap Partners
Episode: Archie Willis and Alex Willis-Boddie are Restoring Neighborhood Anchors
Alex Willis-Boddie
Vice president of development at ComCap Partners, project liaison for community development portfolio
ComCap Partners
Episode: Archie Willis and Alex Willis-Boddie are Restoring Neighborhood Anchors
Marlon Foster
Founder of Knowledge Quest, a nonprofit in South Memphis
Knowledge Quest
Episode: Marlon Foster is Stabilizing Families in South Memphis
Paul Young
Mayor of Memphis, background in urban planning and city government
City of Memphis
Episode: Mayor Paul Young is Fighting for Memphis Families
Simone Sagovac
Project Director at the Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition
Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition
Episode: Simone Sagovac is Organizing for Community Benefits
Caitlin Murphy
Executive Director at the Live6 Alliance
Live6 Alliance
Episode: Caitlin Murphy is Leading Neighborhood Development without Displacement
Orlando Bailey
Executive Director of Outlier Media
Outlier Media
Episode: Orlando Bailey's Newsroom is Accountable to its Readers
Mary Sheffield
Mayor of Detroit, first woman in that role
City of Detroit
Episode: Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield is Tending to Every Neighborhood

Hosts

Tracey Pearson
Host on PathBreakers, Communications Team at The Kresge Foundation; central figure in leading conversations with community leaders and city change-makers.
Jamie Bennett
Co-host, interviewer; works at intersections of arts, culture and equitable community development; long-running collaborator with Tracey.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 14 ratings
  • Love this show!

    The Marygrove and Fresno episodes are my favorites. A great listen when the world seem chaotic.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Stephyjames123
    United States3 months ago
  • Great insights

    Inspiring! Gives me hope to hear how important work continues in local ways despite all that’s coming at the nonprofit sector

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NoraBrighy
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners appreciate practical takeaways and sustained commitment to community-led change.
People like the grounded, human stories behind policy and funding decisions.
Audience notes the episodes on local transformation and Fresno focus as especially compelling.

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Anna McQuiston is Toppling Barriers to Collaboration in the MidSouth
Q: How do you get multiple jurisdictions to cooperate rather than compete?
The key is shared goals and relationship-building: regular convenings, social bonding opportunities, and a practice of connecting neighboring communities to share resources and lessons learned, all built on trust and ongoing dialogue.
Anna McQuiston is Toppling Barriers to Collaboration in the MidSouth
Q: How do you balance the needs of existing residents with attracting newcomers for jobs?
She emphasizes addressing both simultaneously—creating jobs that provide economic mobility for current residents and crafting pathways to attract new talent while ensuring community cohesion through connected workforce development, housing, and transportation.
Anna McQuiston is Toppling Barriers to Collaboration in the MidSouth
Q: What does the tipping point look like for the MidSouth Development District?
Anna explains that after years of a dormant state, a mayor-led push to turn the organization on, a staff growth from four to eight, and a dramatic increase in grant funding transformed MDD into a regional catalyst, with megaprojects and a surge in job opportunities driving momentum.
Archie Willis and Alex Willis-Boddie are Restoring Neighborhood Anchors
Q: What is a piece of advice you would give to a recent graduate interested in giving back to their community?
Have a vision that is bigger than yourself, be realistic about what you can achieve, and couple persistence with patience to execute over the long journey.
Mayor Paul Young is Fighting for Memphis Families
Q: What are the core strategy pillars for Memphis to reduce crime and improve family stability?
A combination of law enforcement, intervention and prevention, efforts to address root causes, and a systemic safety-net approach that coordinates housing, employment, and supportive services through targeted neighborhood programs.

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Frequently Asked Questions About PathBreakers

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

Path-focused conversations feature community leaders, funders, and city changemakers who are building more equitable urban futures block by block. Across seasons, the show emphasizes neighborhood-led revitalization, displacement prevention, data-informed advocacy, and cross-sector collaboration, often spotlighting how residents shape policy and investment in Detroit and other cities. A notable hallmark is pairing practical playbooks with human-centered storytelling, drawing on experiences from housing, education, climate justice, and culture-centered organizing to illuminate scalable models for city-building.

Where can I find podcast stats for PathBreakers?

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How many listeners does PathBreakers get?

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How many subscribers and views does PathBreakers have?

To see how many followers or subscribers PathBreakers 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 PathBreakers?

These podcasts share a similar audience with PathBreakers:

1. The Ezra Klein Show
2. Fresh Air
3. The Daily
4. Hidden Brain
5. 99% Invisible

How many episodes of PathBreakers are there?

PathBreakers launched a year ago and published 23 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 PathBreakers?

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 PathBreakers?

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

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What guests have appeared on PathBreakers?

Recent guests on PathBreakers include:

1. Anna McQuiston
2. Archie Willis
3. Alex Willis-Boddie
4. Marlon Foster
5. Paul Young
6. Simone Sagovac
7. Caitlin Murphy
8. Orlando Bailey

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.

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