Project Good Podcast

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Host Annmarie Hylton introduces the Project Good Podcast’s October theme, “a nation in crisis,” citing U.S. polarization, institutional gridlock, public pessimism, and rising strain. She interviews Dr. Raymond R. Roberts—pastor, University of Richmond health ethics professor, and author—about his path to ministry, sparked by spiritual renewal in college and a film about Martin Luther King Jr. Roberts describes democratic deterioration through political violence, threats against officials, unaffordable healthcare, mass incarceration, media fragmentation, housing inaccessibility, and declining trust in democracy. He argues the church’s failure to pass on values has weakened democratic culture, while Christian nationalism misconstrues religious freedom’s roots in freedom of conscience and distinct church-state vocations. They discuss loneliness, COVID-era trauma, internet-fueled extremism, and the need for local community-building and civic education grounded in human dignity. Roberts says America’s greatness depends on serving causes beyond itself.

00:00 Welcome to Project Good
02:20 Meet Dr Raymond Roberts
10:04 Why America Feels Lost
12:23 Institutions Breaking Down
16:05 Church and Democracy Link
28:48 Reeducation and Civic Renewal
32:05 Higher Ground Common Ground
35:33 Anger Loneliness and Community
45:29 Covenant vs Libertarianism
51:18 What You Can Do Locally
54:43 Key Takeaway From the Book
01:03:00 Wrap Up and Vote Reminder

Dr. Raymond R. Roberts (Richmond, Virginia) is a Pastor with 40+ years of experience, Professor of Health Ethics at University of Richmond, Author of "A Democratic and Republican Faith: A Public Theology for a Church and Nation in Crisis and a Musician, Singer, and Songwriter. Roberts is also the Author of "Whose Kids Are They Anyway: Religion and Morality in America’s Public Schools" (2002) and a Substack blogger (@raymondrroberts). In addition, Roberts previously served as Head of Staff at River Road Presbyterian Church (Richmond, VA), The Presbyterian Church (Westfield, NJ), Grace Presbyterian Church (Jenkintown, PA), and Amherst Presbyterian Church (Amherst, VA). Roberts received a Ph.D. in History and Theology from Union Presbyterian Seminary and is a 30+ year member of the Society of Christian Ethics. In addition, Roberts is songwriter, guitarist, and singer in the band Reckless and Wild, and co-wrote the song “Let Freedom Ring.” Roberts' work has been featured on WRVA 1140AM, The Presbyterian Outlook, The National Law Review, The Thought Atlas Podcast, Zooming In at The UnPopulist, and many more podcasts. https://raymondrroberts.org

Host Annmarie Hylton introduces the Project Good Podcast’s September focus on climate change solutions, citing NOAA data that July 2026 was the hottest month recorded in the U.S. and outlining key drivers such as heat domes, human-caused climate change, warm oceans, humidity, and El Niño. She interviews Joshua Harrison, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Leaf Island, about his lifelong engagement with environmental issues, including early activism around solar energy and a multidisciplinary background in ecological art. Harrison argues for systems thinking, nature-based solutions like urban greening, and long-term “seven generations” decision-making, emphasizing reconnecting people—especially youth—to hands-on climate action. He explains Leaf Island’s concept of restoring city “leaf cover” to cool urban environments and discusses repurposing styrofoam into lightweight, high-performing growing media for scalable green infrastructure.

00:00 Welcome to Project Good
01:11 Meet Joshua Harrison
03:25 Early Climate Awakening
07:17 Art Meets Systems Thinking
13:06 Nature as Climate Tech
18:29 Reconnecting People to Nature
25:24 2030 Tipping Point
31:00 Politics Values and Power
40:15 Indigenous Science and Fire
45:47 Leaf Island Origin Story
48:41 Turning Waste into Soil
55:13 Hope and Youth Agency
01:01:52 Closing and Resources

Joshua Harrison the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Leaf Island, an award-winning green infrastructure company based in New York. He also serves as Director of the Center for the Study of the Force Majeure at UC Santa Cruz. For over three decades, Joshua has worked at the intersection of art, ecology, and systems strategy — from designing immersive installations on ocean collapse to building regenerative models for wildfire impacted landscapes in the American West. His current focus: transforming cities into functioning ecosystems using modular, scalable technologies — starting with rooftops, walls, streets, and coastlines is reshaping how we move forward with this crisis.

Host Annmarie Hylton introduces Project Good’s September focus on pain, highlighting a global crisis of inequitable access to basic pain relief and palliative care alongside opioid overprescription and overdose in high-income nations. She interviews Dr. Melissa Durham, a USC clinical pharmacy associate professor and clinical pharmacist who founded and runs a pharmacy-led pain medication management service for complex chronic non-cancer pain. Durham describes choosing pharmacy, building her pain practice model from the ground up, and navigating barriers to controlled-substance prescribing and dispensing amid regulatory fear. She emphasizes functional outcomes and quality of life, evidence-based monitoring, stigma reduction, and patient privacy, noting harms from misapplied 2016 CDC opioid guideline dose cutoffs while acknowledging improved prescribing trends. The conversation covers personalized care through social determinants and health equity, clinician compassion fatigue and “boundaried compassionate caregiving,” AI for efficiency, and a vision for multidisciplinary pain care access.

00:00 Welcome to Project Good
01:03 Meet Dr Melissa Durham
03:05 Why Pharmacy and Pain
07:41 Opioids and Access Barriers
19:22 Personalized Care and Equity
23:34 Teaching Health Justice
29:53 Compassion Fatigue and Boundaries
41:54 Pain Care Around the World
49:28 Defining Wellness and Thriving
56:14 AI in Healthcare
01:01:23 Closing and Resources

Melissa J. Durham is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Southern California (USC) Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.  She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree, completed a residency in Community-based Pharmacy Practice, and has a Master of Academic Medicine degree, all from USC.

Dr. Durham is a clinical pharmacist at the USC Pain Center, where she established and runs a pharmacist-led pain medication management service for patients with a variety of complicated chronic nononcologic pain conditions. She is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with chronic pain through patient-centered and compassionate care. The value of her unique practice model has been recognized and published both nationally and internationally. Dr. Durham is also a practicing community pharmacist and provides a valuable and unique perspective of a clinician who is both a prescriber and a dispenser – a perspective that is valuable to patients, providers, health systems, and industry alike.

Dr. Durham is a sought-after speaker on the topics of pain management, risk reduction and harm reduction, and the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. She is originally from Central California and resides in Los Angeles.

Host Annmarie Hylton introduces the Project Good Podcast’s August focus on intentional consumerism and interviews Courtney Barriger, a sustainable fashion designer, author of Refashion Workshop, and founder of Holding Court. Barriger explains fast fashion’s rapid, cheap production model and shares how modeling exposed her to low-quality, untraceable clothing and raised questions about waste and supply chains. She argues fast fashion is increasing, citing newer platforms like Shein and Temu and the lack of transparency, and discusses growing concerns about toxins in clothing, including PFAs, BPAs, and lead, alongside emerging regulation such as California’s testing requirements and related lawsuits. The conversation links overconsumption to identity and insecurity, recommends practical consumer habits like reading labels and delaying impulse purchases, urges businesses to use third-party certified materials and design for durability and circularity, and highlights innovation in biodegradable, alternative fibers. Barriger describes Holding Court’s made-to-order, low-tox approach and her broader education and storytelling work.

00:00 Welcome to Project Good
01:01 Meet Courtney Barriger
08:56 Fast Fashion Today Bleak
12:22 Toxins and New Regulations
15:53 How We Got Here
19:57 Clothing Waste Deserts
23:14 Global Pushback Strategies
31:18 Clothes And Identity
36:56 What Businesses Must Change
39:57 Luxury Status Trap
45:01 Teaching Kids Consumerism
49:20 Climate Week Fabric Innovation
59:10 Final Thanks And Links

Courtney Barriger is an award-winning artist, published author, sustainable fashion designer, and storyteller exploring the intersection of fashion, psychology, mythology, sustainability, and human consciousness. She is the author of ReFashion Workshop, an educational book and creative platform focused on sustainable living, textile awareness, conscious consumerism, and the future of ethical fashion. Through ReFashion Workshop, Courtney examines the environmental, psychological, and cultural impact of what we wear from microplastics and textile waste to identity, storytelling, and consumer behavior in the digital age. Courtney is also the founder of Holding Court a sustainable luxury fashion brand centered around wearable art, ethical production, and environmentally conscious design. Find out more at: https://holdingcourtinc.com/

Host Annmarie Hylton introduces the Project Good Podcast’s August focus on culture and climate resilience amid record heat, wildfires, and political discord over environmental policy. She interviews journalist and storyteller Majella Mark, who experienced Hurricane Beryl in July 2024 and helped respond to severe damage on Carriacou, including destruction of the Carriacou Museum’s top floor and loss of artifacts. Mark explains how preserving cultural institutions protects identity—especially for the African diaspora—and connects culture to biodiversity through land-based practices, fishing traditions and reef restoration, and knowledge of sky and moon cycles. She outlines plans to rebuild the museum as a sustainable community hub and storm shelter using solar, rain catchment, and resilient materials, while using storytelling to document local traditions such as recipes in a cookbook. Mark calls for listening, youth leadership, and locally informed blue economy policies.

00:00 Welcome to Project Good
01:24 Meet Majella Mark
03:12 From Caregiver to Director
08:30 How the Project Began
13:57 Why Culture Must Be Saved
24:23 Culture Protects Nature
30:25 Respect and Listening Gap
42:53 Rebuilding a Resilient Museum
52:55 Old Tech Meets New
55:57 Storytelling and Cookbook Plans
01:01:30 Policy Wish Blue Economy
01:04:40 Doing Good and Capacity
01:09:06 Closing and Where to Follow

Majella Mark is a journalist, researcher, and storyteller whose work explores the intersection of culture, technology, social impact, and human behavior. Through her writing, she examines the forces shaping our world, encouraging thoughtful conversations about identity, equity, innovation, and the future of society.

Majella has contributed to publications including CultureBanx, Harness Magazine, and Medium, where she brings together data, research, and lived experience to make complex issues accessible and engaging. She is also the author of Purrsuit of Equality Through Women Herstory: The Coloring Book and Cats Are Trash Human Beings, using creativity and humor to spark meaningful dialogue about history, culture, and the human experience. Currently she is the Executive Director of the Carriacou Museum. Learn more at https://www.carriacoumuseum.gd/ .

Annmarie Hylton introduces Project Good and a July focus on USAID, outlining its creation in 1961, global development and humanitarian roles, and its reliance on grants and contracts, before noting it ceased operations in July 2025 and was merged into the State Department after 2025 funding freezes and mass program terminations. She interviews former USAID Mission Director and attorney Clifford Brown, author of Inside USAID: An Odyssey of Foreign Assistance, about his path from commercial law to overseas development work and how USAID evolved from in-house technical expertise to primarily funding implementers. Brown argues the shutdown was a politically driven “stop work” action led by Elon Musk’s DOGE team that disrupted even “life-saving” programs despite stated exemptions, generated major legal claims, harmed staff and partners, and likely contributed to preventable deaths, while also weakening global health, development knowledge systems, and international efforts tied to broader goals; both emphasize rebuilding trust, human connection, and public awareness.

00:00 Welcome to Project Good
02:13 Meet Clifford Brown
08:16 What USAID Really Did
17:19 Why USAID Was Shut Down
24:10 Human Cost and Fallout
31:24 Aid Freeze Fallout
40:58 Health Security Gaps
44:47 Foreign Aid Misconceptions
48:47 Borders And Trust
01:03:19 Final Thanks And Links

Clifford Brown is the author of Inside USAID: An Odyssey of Foreign Assistance. Mr. Brown is also an attorney who graduated from UCLA law school in 1976 and practiced commercial securities and law for eleven years in Beverly Hills,CA. His interest in international affairs and languages, convinced him to join the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1987 when he was the Mission Director for Guinea and Sierra Leone.

In this episode of the Project Good Podcast, host Annmarie Hylton welcomes author and climate advocate Guy Dauncey, who describes himself as a “practical utopian” and “realistic dreamer,” to discuss how to face climate change, political division, economic anxiety, and social fragmentation without despair. Guy argues that renewable solutions are advancing rapidly, yet fossil fuels persist due to profit and propaganda, and he frames capitalism as a culture of selfishness masked by “scientific” economics. Drawing on human history, he contrasts domination with cooperation and emphasizes democracy, economic democracy, and community action as paths forward. He previews his book The Economics of Kindness, proposing social purpose charters for businesses, stronger worker rights, cooperative ownership in workplaces and housing, fairer taxation of extreme wealth, and “circles of hope” that rebuild trust through local relationships and collective organizing.

00:00 Welcome to Project Good
01:55 Meet Guy Dauncey
03:34 Practical Utopian Mindset
08:57 Kindness Meets Economics
15:57 Democracy and Economic Power
26:49 Is Selfishness Human Nature
34:05 Ending Capitalism Blueprint
38:36 Housing Crisis and Public Housing
43:00 Democracy And Central Banks
48:31 Community Wealth Trust
01:13:47 Closing Resources

Guy Dauncey is an author, climate advocate, systems thinker, and self-described "practical utopian." For more than forty years, he has explored what it will take to create a future that is not only sustainable, but also more just, compassionate, and deeply human. Through his books, speaking, and advocacy, Guy has challenged the idea that hope is simply a feeling. Instead, he argues that hope is something we build through action, imagination, and a willingness to rethink the systems that shape our lives.  Check out his new book The Economics of Kindness out this July 2026.

Host Annmarie Hylton introduces the Project Good Podcast’s June focus on prison reform, outlining longstanding criticisms of California’s prison system and recent reform efforts. She interviews Keith Wattley, founder and executive director of Uncommon Law, about what drew him into criminal justice reform and why he built a legal model centered on partnership, people-first language, and clients’ agency to tell their stories to the parole board. Wattley argues that punishment is often chosen over healing, that trauma and disconnection commonly underlie harm across society, and that accountability means acknowledging harm and taking steps to repair it. He discusses racial and wealth disparities as policy choices, cautions against simplistic comparisons to Scandinavian models, and describes how proximity to incarcerated people shifts stereotypes. Wattley highlights that people released from long and life sentences have extremely low violent recidivism (under 1%) and calls for healing-focused policies and community-based alternatives to incarceration.

00:00 Welcome to Project Good
01:02 Meet Keith Wattley
03:20 Why Reform Work
07:55 Beyond Labels and Systems
10:54 Trauma and Healing
14:10 Redemption and Accountability
24:27 Race Policy and Targeting
29:48 Models Beyond America
34:21 Training New Advocates
43:29 Recidivism Myths and Money
50:31 Healing Community Action
01:00:52 Closing and Resources

Keith Wattley (he/him), Founder and Executive Director, received his B.A. in Psychology from Indiana University and his J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law. He has been advocating for the rights of people in prison and on parole for more than 25 years. Prior to launching UnCommon Law in 2006, Keith was a staff attorney at the Prison Law Office, a nonprofit law firm in Berkeley. At UnCommon Law, he has focused on helping people transform their lives and demonstrate to the parole board that they can safely be released from their life sentences. He has also engaged in impact litigation and individual cases involving unlawful prison and parole conditions, and he has trained hundreds of lawyers, law students and others in advocating for the rights of incarcerated people.

In 2018, Keith was selected as one of the Obama Foundation’s inaugural Fellows, recognizing his unique legal model and vision, and in 2020, he was awarded the James Irvine Foundation's Leadership Award. Keith has been active on several boards of directors, and served as co-chair of the Institutional Review Board (human subjects committee) for the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. He was also a member of the Founding Board of Directors for the Prison University Project (San Quentin’s College Program) and a member of the Board of Directors for Legal Services for Prisoners with Children. Keith currently teaches a course titled "California Prisons and Discretionary Parole" at UC Berkeley School of Law where he also supervises the Post-Conviction Advocacy Project.

Host Annmarie Hylton introduces the Project Good Podcast’s May theme, “leadership with a spiritual impact,” describing a global crisis of meaning, ethical leadership, information overload, and a shift from transactional to transformational leadership. She interviews Reverend Kevin Taylor—pastor, leadership advisor, and author of A Charge to Keep—about his upbringing in Ann Arbor, an exchange trip to Japan, attending Tuskegee University, and how urban ministry led him into education administration and governance. Taylor argues America’s spiritual roots matter most in how values show up in leadership, voting, and policy, and says fear and polarization keep people from naming beliefs while disagreeing respectfully. He calls for seeking common ground, improving inclusion, and rethinking outdated institutions like the size of Congress and the Supreme Court. He frames faith as a guide for humane workplace decisions, urges AI governance and accountability, and explains his book’s practical lessons on lonely leadership, mentorship, pacing, and integrity. Taylor closes by encouraging civic responsibility, learning from U.S. history, “changing your square,” and confronting climate-driven migration and resource challenges with shared humanity and hope.

00:00 Welcome to Project Good
01:55 Meet Reverend Kevin Taylor
04:27 Kevin’s Journey and Calling
08:53 Faith, Politics, and US Values
14:47 Fear, Identity, and Speaking Up
28:12 Finding the Happy Middle
34:34 What Leaders We Need Now
41:05 Faith at Work and Hope
44:29 AI, Governance, and the Future
51:09 Why He Wrote the Book
59:06 Leading Yourself Forward
01:06:03 Closing and Where to Learn More

Rev. Kevin T. Taylor  is a pastor, leadership advisor, and the author of A Charge to Keep, a book exploring the real weight of authority and the decisions leaders must carry alone. Drawing from years of experience in ministry, executive leadership, and organizational governance, Kevin helps leaders think more clearly about responsibility, courage, and the cost of leadership. His work focuses on helping leaders move the decisions they’ve been carrying into action with clarity and integrity. Kevin is passionate about conversations that help leaders steward influence faithfully and lead with greater wisdom.

You can find out more about Rev. Taylor at https://revkttaylor.com/

Host Annmarie Hylton opens the Project Good Podcast’s May focus on fair trade, noting widespread global economic anxiety and trade’s historic injustices, then interviews Dr. Arisbe Mendoza, Director of Global Impact Advocacy and Partnerships at Fairtrade International. Mendoza shares how growing up amid inequality in Mexico and later living in Brazil shaped her work, and explains fair trade’s origins from 1940s alternative trade through the first label in 1988 and the founding of Fairtrade International in 1997, with independent auditing by FLOCERT. She outlines how standards protect producers via minimum price floors, premiums democratically invested in communities, and audits covering both producers and traders, while noting products must also be sold under fair trade conditions. The conversation covers certification for cooperatives and labor organizations, producer-network support, a women-led Indonesian coffee co-op using premiums for agroforestry and community health, alignment with SDGs, challenges from EU due-diligence rules like deforestation requirements, and ways consumers can help by buying Fairtrade-labeled products and participating in Fair Trade Month.

00:00 Welcome to Project Good
01:58 Meet Dr Mendoza
04:02 Her Story and Roots
07:05 Trade Policy and Prices
08:24 Fair Trade Origins
13:59 Standards and Protections
18:39 Certification and Audits
23:47 How the Premium Works
25:46 Indonesia Women Coffee Co-op
33:46 Fair Trade and the SDGs
40:03 Deforestation Rules and Advocacy
47:07 What Consumers Can Do
49:23 Why Fair Trade Matters
52:52 Closing and Resources

Guest Bio

Dr. Arisbe Mendoza is the Director of Global Impact, Advocacy and Partnerships at Fairtrade International. In her role she leads global advocacy, partnerships & program implementation, and impact teams driving alignment and global initiatives to deliver meaningful improvements for over 2 million Fairtrade producers across 70 countries. Her focus is on building strong collaborations, leveraging data and insights to inform strategy, enhancing fair sustainability compliance across the supply chain, and scaling effective programs that deliver impact to producers.

During her earlier career she focused on  research, spending over 10 years leading projects on biodiversity, climate change, and socio-economic vulnerability, primarily in Brazil and Mexico and published 20 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Ecological Economics and Food Chain.