Vital Voices Radio Podcast

On this episode of Vital Voices LIVE, two powerhouse voices take the stage: Ashlyn Harris and Brittany Packnett Cunningham.Ashlyn — two-time World Cup champion, advocate, and mom — gets candid about life after soccer, embracing imperfection, and what it means to lead with authenticity as a queer woman.Brittany brings her signature brilliance, guiding the conversation with vulnerability, wisdom, and truth. Together, they remind us that leadership can be both strong and soft — and that showing up fully is a radical act.Tune in for an unforgettable conversation on identity, transition, and the courage to evolve.

To kick off Global Pride Month in DC, Vital Voices Live welcomed the brilliant Tourmaline for a powerful conversation honoring the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson — the trailblazing Black trans icon who helped shape the LGBTQ+ movement.Tourmaline — filmmaker, activist, and author of the new biography Marsha — joined host Sharita Gruberg, Vice President for Economic Justice at the National Partnership for Women & Families, to reflect on Marsha’s enduring impact and what it means to carry her legacy forward.

In this powerful episode of Vital Voices Live, acclaimed actress, activist, and storyteller Sophia Bush sits down with Jen Klein—author, advocate, and longtime champion for women’s rights—for a bold and deeply personal conversation about advocacy, authenticity, and the courage to lean into hard conversations.Together, they explore what it means to lead with purpose, stay grounded in your values, and stand up for what you believe in—even when it’s difficult. From navigating the spotlight to showing up for meaningful change, this episode is a compelling reminder that true impact begins with knowing who you are—and having the courage to act on it.

In celebration of Global Wellness Day, our CEO Alyse Nelson sits down with Victoria Zitrin — artist, entrepreneur, advocate, and Co-Chair of the Vital Voices Bay Area Council. Victoria is the founder of Ventura Vie, a public charity rooted in wellness, creativity, and empowerment. From mentorships to live events and the V Boutique in San Francisco, Ventura Vie creates space for healing and connection through art, fashion, and nature. Her impact is felt across the Vital Voices community — including at our headquarters, where our wellness room bears the Ventura Vie name. This episode is a reminder that wellness isn’t a luxury — it’s a foundation for leadership, resilience, and meaningful change.

After discovering deepfake pornography featuring her image online, Breeze Liu faced a harrowing journey that exposed the deep failures of our legal and tech systems. But instead of staying silent, she took action. In this powerful episode, Breeze joins Vital Voices CEO Alyse Nelson to share how she turned trauma into purpose—founding Alecto AI to help others detect and remove non-consensual content.Now a Vital Voices Global Fellow and a driving force behind the bipartisan Take It Down Act, Breeze is reshaping the digital landscape to protect survivors. This conversation is a call to action for tech accountability—and a testament to the power of survivor-led change.

In honor of World Environment Day, Vital Voices CEO Alyse Nelson sits down with Wanjira Mathai — renowned Kenyan environmentalist and Managing Director for Africa at the World Resources Institute.Daughter of the late Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Wanjira carries forward a legacy of people-powered climate action. In this powerful conversation, she reflects on her mother’s impact, the urgency of women-led environmental solutions, and how restoring our planet means reimagining leadership.

In this powerful episode of the Vital Voices Podcast, actor and activist Nazanin Boniadi joins Alyse Nelson, President & CEO of Vital Voices, for a candid conversation on courage, advocacy, and the fight for human rights in Iran and beyond.Nazanin shares her journey from Hollywood to human rights activism, the personal cost of raising her voice, and the ongoing struggle for freedom in Iran — especially for women and girls. She reflects on the power of global solidarity, the role of storytelling in activism, and why silence is not an option.Tune in for an inspiring conversation about the people who lift us up — and how we can do the same for others.

In honor of International Day for Biological Diversity, this episode features a powerful conversation between Vital Voices President & CEO Alyse Nelson and Mary Robinson — Ireland’s first female President, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and lifelong advocate for climate justice, gender equality, and ethical leadership. Mary reflects on her groundbreaking political career, her deep commitment to human rights, and how climate became her life’s defining mission. She also shares insights from MRS ROBINSON, a new documentary that tells the story of her trailblazing leadership and the urgent need for women-led climate action.

In this special episode of the Vital Voices Live Podcast, supermodel, entrepreneur and philanthropist Karlie Kloss joins Kode With Klossy CEO Osi Imeokparia to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Kode With Klossy—a decade of empowering young women and gender-expansive youth in tech. Together, they reflect on the early days of the initiative, how mentorship has shaped their leadership journeys, and why investing in women and girls is key to building a more inclusive and innovative future. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about vision, impact, and what’s next for this groundbreaking movement.

In this episode of Vital Voices Live, Dina Powell McCormick — former Deputy National Security Advisor and Vice Chair at BDT & MSD Partners — joins us to talk about her new book, Who Believed in You?, co-authored with Senator David McCormick. Drawing from her personal journey and insights from leaders like Satya Nadella, Tory Burch, and Condoleezza Rice, Dina explores how transformational mentorship shapes leadership, builds confidence, and drives long-term success. She shares lessons from her work launching mentorship initiatives like Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women and offers practical advice for creating deeper, more meaningful mentoring relationships. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about the people who lift us up — and how we can do the same for others.

Welcome to the Vital Voices Live Podcast, a podcast dedicated to celebrating the game-changers, the rule-breakers, and the fearless women shaping our world! In front of a live studio audience in the Vital Voices Headquarters in Washington DC, this episode is guest hosted by Norah O'Donnell in conversation with Sara Blakely, an entrepreneur, innovator, and champion for women everywhere. She took a simple idea, a pair of scissors, and sheer determination to build Spanx, revolutionizing the fashion industry and becoming one of the most successful self-made women in the world. But she didn’t stop there—she’s using her platform to empower female entrepreneurs, invest in women-led businesses, and prove that lifting others up is the ultimate power move.She’s bold, she’s brilliant, and on this episode, she shares her incredible journey.

A conversation in honor of International Women's Day between Vital Voices CEO and co-Founder Alyse Nelson and Nika Kovač, the founding director of the 8th of March Research Institute, a movement-building organization that uses storytelling and advocacy to confront gender and economic inequalities across Slovenia.

Zeinorin Angkang is a 2022 VV Visionaries Fellowship alumna and founder of Hill Wild, an organization working with the Tangkhul Naga People in Northeast India to create a sustainable food supply and eradicate poverty. In this work, she also champions the voices of Indigenous Peoples and their farming knowledge that dates back thousands of years.    She recently spoke to Vital Voices President & CEO Alyse Nelson on why she founded Hill Wild and how she grew the social enterprise to include more than 2,000 farmers, 80 percent of whom are women.  Angkang was recently featured in Portraits of Progress: Women Powering the Global Goals, an interactive art exhibit that debuted at the United Nations Headquarters during Women's History Month. The exhibit featured 17 portraits of women leaders finding solutions to advance the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). If listening to Angkang's story on our podcast has inspired you to take action, please consider donating to Vital Voices to help us continue investing

In this special Festival episode of the Vital Voices podcast, you’ll hear an inspiring panel conversation on how women leaders can take control of dealing with personal trauma, navigating mental health, and finding fulfillment no matter what life throws their way. Founding Partner at West Front Strategies and Vital Voices Board Member ASHLEY DAVIS kicks off the discussion by informing the audience that they all will be gifted a copy of The Urgent Life, the debut memoir of Vital Voices Board Member and Marketing Hall of Famer BOZOMA SAINT JOHN. The conversation is moderated by HUMA ABEDIN, author, Vital Voices board member, civil servant, and Chief of Staff to Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton.  Invest in Women. Improve the World.If you were moved by any part of this episode, then please consider making a donation to Vital Voices to help continue our work of investing in, connecting with, and amplifying the work of women leaders who are solving the world's greatest challenges. www.vitalvoices.org/donate.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this special Festival series episode on the rising tide of disinformation and digital dictatorship, you’ll hear from four thought leaders who offered a cross-cultural analysis on the issue of disinformation with expert commentary from the Honorable NEEMA LUGANGIRA of Tanzania, PAULINA IBARRA of Chile, OMUKA HUB NEYSARA of India and ALENA POPOVA of Russia, in conversation with MANIRA ALVA, Vital Voices’ Vice President of Issue Advocacy.During the discussion, the panelists explore what is occurring in the world of fact and fiction, what they are experiencing, solutions, and what we can do about it to bring more truth to the surface.Invest in Women. Improve the World.If you were moved by any part of this episode, then please consider making a donation to Vital Voices to help continue our work of investing in, connecting with and amplifying the work of women leaders who are solving the world's greatest challenges. www.vitalvoices.org/donate

Invest in Women. Improve the World.If you were moved by any part of this episode, then please consider making a donation to Vital Voices to help continue our work of investing in, connecting with and amplifying the work of women leaders who are solving the world's greatest challenges. www.vitalvoices.org/donate ABOUT THIS EPISODE:As we approach the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on August 15, 2023, we revisit a particularly moving panel discussion from the 2nd Annual Vital Voices Festival centered around gender apartheid in Afghanistan and Iran.Listen as Afghan Women’s Rights Activist METRA MEHRAN and Iranian Actress & Activist SEPIDEH MOAFI sit in conversation with ZAINAB SALBI, founder of Women for Women International, co-founder of Daughters for Earth, and a Vital Voices board member, to discuss the problems and proposed solutions to achieve gender equality in the Middle East. Play through to the end to hear a special surprise unveiling of a protest piece created by the ArtLo

Invest in Women. Improve the World.If you were moved by any part of this episode, then please consider making a donation to Vital Voices to help continue our work of investing in, connecting with and amplifying the work of women leaders who are solving the world's greatest challenges. www.vitalvoices.org/donateAbout This Episode:In this special Festival series episode of the power of the arts and storytelling to spark social change, you’ll hear from a panel of featured thought leaders from film, TV, fine arts and the stage, including Sesame Workshop President SHERRIE WESTIN, President of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts DEBORAH RUTTER, Filmmaker SAMAR MINALLAH KHAN, and Executive Director of For Freedoms artist collective CLAUDIA PEÑA. These powerhouse women spoke about their roles as creative executives to positively impact the world with media entrepreneur and Founder of the Oxygen Network and former President of Nickelodeon GERALDINE LAYBOURNE expertly guiding the discussion.

Invest in Women. Improve the World.If you were moved by any part of this episode, then please consider making a donation to Vital Voices to help continue our work of investing in, connecting with and amplifying the work of women leaders who are solving the world's greatest challenges. www.vitalvoices.org/donateAbout This Episode:“The work we do is lonely work,” said KAH WALLA, President of the Cameroon People’s Party and a Vital Voices Board Member. “If we want social justice, if we want inclusion, we cannot count on the people who have built the current status quo to change it. We must embrace power.” And so went the discussion of three powerful women leaders about how they broke the so-called rules of society to start movements and blaze a trail towards gender equality.In this special Festival episode of the Vital Voices podcast, you’ll hear more from WALLA, in addition to Senior Policy Advisor for Native Affairs and Domestic Policy Council at The White House ELIZABETH HIDALGO REESE, Founder of Femmes for F

Invest in Women. Improve the World.If you were moved by any part of this episode, then please consider making a donation to Vital Voices to help continue our work of investing in, connecting with and amplifying the work of women leaders who are solving the world's greatest challenges. www.vitalvoices.org/donateAbout this Episode:In this special episode, you’ll hear a powerful conversation between Vital Voices Cofounder Secretary HILLARY CLINTON and a panel of women leaders who have been a part of Vital Voices 25-year history of disrupting the status quo. Listen as Northern Irish Peacebuilder Dr. BRONAGH HINDS, Gender Equality Activist OUMIE SISSOKHO of The Gambia, Human Rights Activist & Author RUCHIRA GUPTA of India, and Social Entrepreneur MARIA PACHECO of Guatemala talk about the audacious action they took in their communities to advocate for women, peace, and gender equality.This global dialogue, moderated by ZINHLE ESSAMUAH of NBC News, was captured at the 2nd Annual Vital Voices Festival at our glob

Vital Voices invests in women leaders solving the world’s greatest challenges. We are “venture catalysts,” identifying those with a bold vision for change and partnering with them to make that vision a reality. We scale and accelerate their impact through long-term investments to expand the skills, connections, capacity, and visibility of women leaders.Your gift will allow us to continue our global mission and grow our network of over 20,000 women leaders from 185 countries.If you are moved toward action after listening to any part of the Vital Voices podcast, then visit our website and consider getting involved with one of our programs. You can also make a contribution to our efforts by making a donation of any amount you’d like to give through our online giving portal at: www.vitalvoices.org/donate