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 ...
Jul 02, 2025•41 min
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 leg...
Jun 30, 2025•30 min
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 sh...
Jun 27, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 4
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 — includi...
Jun 14, 2025•20 min
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, Bree...
Jun 10, 2025•22 min
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 plan...
Jun 05, 2025•32 min
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 storytel...
Jun 04, 2025•43 min
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 i...
May 22, 2025•30 min
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 ...
May 08, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 3
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 ...
Apr 28, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 2
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 fashio...
Apr 06, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 1
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.
Apr 01, 2025•20 min
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...
Apr 22, 2024•11 min
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 Mem...
Sep 20, 2023•36 min
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 ...
Aug 23, 2023•32 min
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...
Aug 09, 2023•30 min
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 of the power of the arts and storytelling to spark social change, you’ll hear from a panel of featured thought leaders from fi...
Jul 26, 2023•28 min
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: “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 inc...
Jul 17, 2023•40 min
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 episode, you’ll hear a powerful conversation between Vital Voices Cofounder Secretary HILLARY CLINTON and a panel of women leaders who have been a par...
Jul 06, 2023•43 min
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 to...
Jun 14, 2023•28 min
Visit us online at: www.vitalvoices.org Donate to Vital Voices: www.vitalvoices.org/donate Learn more about the book at: www.bozomasaintjohn.com
Mar 17, 2023•28 min
President of Google.org, Jacquelline Fuller, joins Alyse Nelson on the heels of the announcement of the 34 selected organizations for Google.org's $25M Impact Challenge for Women and Girls. They discussed the importance of private sector collaborations with organizations like Vital Voices, a partner on the Challenge, how we can realistically create a path to achieving SDG 5; Gender Equality, and why women's representation is critical to progress. In the global philanthropic community, less than ...
Dec 20, 2021•21 min
Melissa Shang, disability rights activist, joined host, Alyse Nelson, for a special International Youth Day discussion on advocacy and the power of young voices. Born with a form of muscular dystrophy called Charcot-Marie-Tooth, Melissa has worked throughout her young-adult life to incorporate anti-ableist conversation into popular discourse. In this enlightening conversation, Melissa and Alyse discuss the path to activism and importance of representation in youth popular culture, the impact tha...
Aug 12, 2021•19 min
Her Royal Highness, Intisar AlSabah, Kuwaiti social entrepreneur, philanthropist, and princess of the House of Al Sabah , joined host, Alyse Nelson, for a discussion on how we can use lessons learned from overcoming adversity to empower others. A survivor of domestic abuse and military occupation, Her Royal Highness explores how traumatic events in her own life impacted her mental health, how she escaped from this dark place, and how she relies on skills gained from these experiences to support ...
Jul 14, 2021•41 min
Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Chair and founding member of the Council of Women World Leaders, and current President of the Mary Robinson Foundation Climate Change joined host, Alyse Nelson for a discussion on her experience as a woman leader in Irish politics and global organizations, mental health, and the intersection between gender and the climate crisis. Based on her years of experience, President Robinson shares why she believes that the...
Jun 30, 2021•24 min
Cici Battle, social impact strategist, organizer, and facilitator, joined host, Alyse Nelson, for a discussion on Juneteenth and how the United States must move beyond performative solidarity in order to address its deep-rooted issues with race and equality. By reflecting on the events of the past year, including the murder of George Floyd, the global Pandemic, and the transition in federal administration, Cici explored the positive changes that have emerged in nation-wide discourse about race a...
Jun 16, 2021•47 min
TW || Former Mexican congresswomen and life-long advocate against gender-based violence in Mexico, Adriana Hinojosa Céspedes, joined the Vital Voices Podcast with host Alyse Nelson, to discuss Mexico’s ongoing femicide crisis, the strength of women in this time of uncertainty, and the hope that is generated from small steps of progress in the fight for gender equality. Through her eloquent and sensitive words, Adriana shares horrific details of the violence women and children in Mexico continue ...
May 26, 2021•23 min
Visionary Entrepreneur and Co-founder of Women in Business Development Inc in Samoa, Adi Tafuna’i joined host Alyse Nelson to discuss her pioneering work revitalizing the local economy in Samoa by building female entrepreneurship using locally-sources resources and tapping into external markets. Adi and Alyse discuss the impact climate change has had on the local Samoan and Pacific Island communities, and she shares how she gives back to her local community by prioritizing the women within the c...
May 19, 2021•25 min
Career diplomat and NDI Director for Women, Gender and Democracy Sandra Pepera joined host Alyse Nelson on the podcast to discuss her career building inclusive, resilient democracy. Sandra reflected on the need to focus on creating systems that push for culture change to really secure lasting impact when it comes to greater gender equity and representation in politics around the world. She and Alyse discussed the ways that we need to support not only women leaders as individuals, but also ensure...
May 12, 2021•27 min
Democratic activist and economist Obiageli (Oby) Ezekwesili joined host Alyse Nelson to discuss how her leadership style has been shaped by a staunch commitment to her values and deep community engagement. Leading by example, Oby explains how she uses her power to empower community voices around her, coaching a new generation of leaders who are driven by values to disrupt the culture of putting the self in front of the common good. Over her decades-long career, Oby has demonstrated the power of ...
Apr 28, 2021•24 min
