What are citizen's assemblies, and how might they address challenges faced with representative democracy around the world today?By Denizen

Resources: Development in Progress: https://consilienceproject.org/development-in-progress/By Denizen

If you’re wondering how we might reform capitalism to be less extractive and more regenerative, this conversation is for you. Our guests Chelsea Robinson and Jay Standish have just published a book, Assets in Common, sharing recent research on what is happening in the most progressive corners of the current economic landscape. We discuss shared and…

Over the last few episodes we’ve been exploring work that we can do on ourselves and in intimate relationships. This conversation builds on those by extending that individual work into the group and organizational level. We explore power and examine the patterns that show up at all organizational levels, from teams to organizations to coalitions to…

In this episode we’re discussing healing trauma, specifically what is required to address trauma at the root: in our nervous systems. This topic is critical because what most of us don’t realize is how many people live in a perpetually dysregulated state due to unresolved trauma. This leaves us with an ongoing baseline of reactivity, hypervigilance…

In this episode we’re discussing conflict resolution, in particular, the distinction between an adversarial paradigm, that all of us unwittingly hold, and a restorative paradigm, that gets us what we ultimately want: healthy, thriving relationships with those closest to us . The difference between the two is quite literally life changing. In the fo…

In this episode we delve deep into how we can live more authentic lives, in alignment with our true selves. ‍ Our guest is Maria Camara Serrano, co-director of the Hoffman Institute's international division. In addition to her work leading the Hoffman Institute internationally, Maria is trained in Gestalt Therapy, Mindfulness, and Emotion-Focused T…

In this episode we build on the two part series on consensual non-monogamy by discussing modern family structures and the work underway to support them. Our guests, Alexander Chen and Health Schechinger are both doing remarkable work in this field. In this conversation we discuss: The relationship between consensual non-monogamy and the LGBTQ+ move…

In this episode Jenny and Jessica discuss: The neurochemisty of lust, attraction, and love Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) and social justice: punitive vs. restorative vs. transformational models How CNM helps us surface and heal trauma and attachment issues How CNM teaches us to change dominant paradigms and stories within us Why CNM leads to a chan…

In this conversation Jenny and Robert discuss: What the optimal zone is and how it relates to our nervous system What the defensive zone is and how it relates to our nervous system How our triggers are amplified by past trauma, agitation from other events of the day, and chronic stress How we can break the cycle of reflexive response when we are tr…

In this episode Jenny and Jessica cover: The prevalence of infidelity and divorce Issues with the modern love story and codependency What is love? Ideas from bell hooks and Daniel Schmachtenberger What consensual non monogamy (CNM) is Different variations CNM can take depending on emotional and physical exclusivity Why people practice CNM Best prac…

How might we move beyond polarization and integrate the truths held in opposing points of view? Storyteller and producer Stephanie Lepp shares with us her tools and strategies to, in her words, "leave no insight behind" -- a skill essential to address the challenges of our time.By Jenny Stefanotti

In this essential episode, Jenny discusses stakeholder capitalism with Jasper van Brakel, CEO of RSF Social Finance. This is one of the most important topics of the Denizen inquiry, as it tees up true economic reform where profit is put in service of purpose. In this conversation Jenny and Jasper cover stakeholder capitalism comprehensively: Defini…

How can art contribute to systemic change? Design Science Studio co-founder Roxi Shohadaee shares her insights from working with hundreds of artists across myriad disciplines.By Jenny Stefanotti

The regenerative story starts with single core idea: we can use the universal principles underlying stable, healthy, and sustainable living and nonliving systems throughout the real world as a model for economic-system design. ‍ After 20 years on Wall Street, John Fullerton embarked on an intellectual journey that led him to formulate his ideas aro…

Post Growth Institute's Donnie Maclurcan returns to the Denizen podcast with an important follow up to one of our most popular episodes, Post Growth Economics. Here Donnie reiterates on why capitalism is fundamentally flawed, outlines what is working around the world today, and explains his theory of change for how we evolve to an economy that is r…

This episode comes along side of the launch of Tobias Rose-Stockwell's book Taming The Outrage Machine: How Technology Amplifies Discontent, Disrupts Democracy -- And What We Can Do About It. Tobias is an author, designer, and media researcher who has been working at the forefront of this topic for many years. By investigating media's role in infor…

How might we design our organizations and institutions to align incentives for all stakeholders? Taking inspiration from small, kin-based groups, Joon Yun asks how we can scale such dynamics globally.By Denizen

How might we inspire humans to think on the time scale of civilization? What can we learn about long term thinking from the world's most enduring organizations? Long Now Foundation's Executive Director reflects on his learnings from 25 years in his role.By Jenny Stefanotti

Sociocracy is a form of governance that utilizes content-based decision making in small groups. By delegating authority to the handful of people who are responsible for executing on the related work, power is distributed more broadly throughout organizations. In a consent based model, everyone takes responsibility for decisions made by the group. T…

Long-term capitalism is one of our most foundational topics. We investigate how we might instantiate a variation of capitalism that optimizes over longer time horizons that a quarter, which is the form of capitalism that dominates the public market. Michelle Green, founding employee, President Emeritus, Board member and Interim CEO of the Long Term…

On the heels of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's testimony before Congress, we are releasing this important conversation from 2021. Jenny sits down with Stanford political science professors Rob Reich, Jeremy Weinstein, and Nate Persily to interrogate big tech's role in society. How did we get to where we are today? What interventions in the near term, from…

In this episode Jenny sits down with Jim Rutt and Jordan Hall, founders of the Game B movement, to understand it's history and main tenets. Jim and Jordan have thought deeply about many facets of the Denizen inquiry, this conversation dives into many core concepts related to social and institutional redesign. ‍ The genesis of Game B [3:05] Defining…

In this episode Jenny sits down with three leaders in the regenerative movement: John Fullerton, Founder of the Capital Institute and champion of Regenerative Capitalism; Hunter Lovins, pioneer in the sustainability movement and author of Natural Capitalism; and Joon Yun, philanthropist and advocate of inclusive stakeholding. Each have been guests …

Donnie Maclurcan returns in this episode to discuss the radical, embodied practices he employs as Executive Director of the Post Growth Institute. Learn how PGI uses an asset-based approach, sociocratic governance, and lean processes to create trust, safety, and virtuous cycles. Recorded live in San Francisco, Donnie and Jenny discuss PGI's cutting…

This episode is a little different than most, we’re not exploring a single topic. Instead we discuss Elena’s expansive work as it relates to our inquiry. This conversation ties to so many episodes to date: Change from Within with Bobby Klein, Nonviolent Communication, Beyond the Enlightenment, Liberatory Technology, and Parenting, just to name a fe…

Our guests for this episode are Aden Van Noppen, Davion Ziere, and Sará King, the team behind Mobius. With historical and current advisors such as Jack Kornfield, Dr. Angel Acosta, and Krista Tippet, Mobius's mission is to activate a tech ecosystem focused on healing and well being. Mobius' work prioritizes support for Black, Brown, Indigenous, que…

In this episode we're exploring a foundational topic: trust. Our guest Davion Ziere, known as Zi, has been thinking deeply about this topic for years. He's even written a yet to be published book on it. Davion is co-director of Mobius, founder of an online community marketplace called Origyn, a recording artist, and student of many indigenous tradi…

In this episode we discuss the importance of service, the value of community, finding one’s purpose, the need for ceremony and ritual, how to really listen, and much more.By Jenny Stefanotti

Our guest for this episode is Carla Fernandez, co-founder of The Dinner Party, a platform for young adults who have lost someone close to them. The Dinner Party now operates in over 100 cities around the world and has been featured in media outlets such as NPR, CNN, and the New York Times. Carla is also a designer, facilitator, and strategist whose…

This conversation investigates the fundamental challenges of a capitalism and outlines a vision for a post-growth economy that better achieves a just, sustainable society. Our guest, Donnie MacLurcan, is the founder and Executive Director of the Post Growth Institute. He's one of the most brilliant thinkers we've met on new economics. In this episo…

Steward ownership is one of the single most important concepts to understand for those interested in reforming capitalism. Whereas all other models of corporate governance that seek to integrate purpose co-ops, public benefit corporations, B Corps, and PBLLCs leave intact a fundamental tension between purpose and profit, steward ownership instantia…

This episode covers an important corporate governance form: the cooperative, also known as a co-ops. There are many types of co-ops which makes it challenging to fully understand what distinguishes them from other corporate forms. This is an essential topic, as it is within the incentives of corporate governance that alternative economic outcomes c…

Our guest for this episode is Robert Gilman, founder of the Context Institute. Robert is a pioneer in the sustainability movement and an elder in our midst. His career began with 30 years in astrophysics, so he is deeply versed in the mindsets of scientific thinking. Robert is particularly interested culture and cultural change. He sees us in a mom…

This conversation connects systemic change and big paradigm shifts to our everyday behaviors. The dominant way that we think about and speak to one another reflects a story of separation and has us regularly in a state of fight or flight. It lends itself to right/wrong thinking, extracting from one another and keeping score. The principles and prac…

In this episode we discuss governance on social media platforms, an important topic given the enormous social consequences of our reliance on them. Our guests are Columbia sociology professor Sudhir Venkatesh and Yale legal professor Tracey Meares. Sudhir and Tracy co-direct Yale's Social Media Governance Initiative, which is leading research in th…

In this episode we address a foundational topic: governance. Governance refers to how we make decisions and act in groups, whether that be within a nation-state, a corporation, a community group, or a household. Today's challenges require collective action at a global scale. What factors should we keep in mind as we architect governance processes i…

Who are the great thinkers of the past and what can we learn from them? In this episode we cover the life and work of Buckminster Fuller, who was an architect, inventor, futurist, and prolific writer. Our guest is Amanda Joy Ravehill, former Executive Director of the Buckminster Fuller Institute. The conversation explores: Who was Buckminster Fulle…

In this episode we do a deep dive on Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). MMT stems from an alternative story of money which has significant implications for governments in countries that have sovereignty over the currency it issues. Under MMT, spending does not face financial constraints, taxes and bonds do not fund government budgets, federal deficits a…

In this episode, Jenny and Jordan Hall discuss their experiences and systemic perspectives as parents in modern society. This conversation covers: Unraveling the meaningfulness of becoming a parent [3:01] Exploring interrelationships between parents, kids, extended family, and community [7:15] "Stewarding the soul of another human being" [9:55] Som…

In this episode, Marta Ceroni joins us to discuss systems thinking. The focus of our conversation is the life and work of Donella Meadows, a distinguished systems and environmental thinker in the mid-late 20th century. Ceroni stewards Meadows' archives and furthers her work as co-director at the Academy for Systems Change. In our conversation, Mart…

In this episode, we look at the role of art in activism and social change. Our guest, Aaron Huey, has created visuals for many of the most important movements of our time, from climate change to indigenous rights to economic justice. We talk about Huey's background as a National Geographic photojournalist, his 2010 TED Talk about indigenous rights,…

In this episode we explore and parse apart three distinct elements of atonement: telling the truth, acknowledging and apologizing for harms, and taking direct action to repair. As this conversation underscores, atonement represents just one element of a more complex set of reforms necessary to address systemic oppression. Absent a broader effort, t…

Partnerism is both a social and economic system. Based on the principles of equitable partnership, it reaches across the spectrum of society — gender studies, family systems, organizations, cultures, and political systems — as a movement towards a more just and caring society. Overall, it shifts paradigms from hierarchies of domination to hierarchi…

We all know about all the things that are wrong with social media as we know it. It's a model where everything is centralized and the market dynamics foster very few competitors who just get bigger and have more power. Who builds? Who governs? Who owns? Where are the servers? Where do the applications sit? Where does the data live? It's largely in …

Charles is the author of several books, including The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible and Sacred Economics. His work spans multiple pillars of the Denizen Inquiry, including economics, culture, and consciousness. In this episode, Charles and Jenny discuss gift economics, a very different model of exchange than capitalism. In a gift…

Universal basic income has gotten a lot of attention in the past five years. What is universal basic income, and why might it be a compelling component of a just society? How did the pandemic accelerate the possibility to adopting cash assistance in various forms? Our guests for this episode are Natalie Foster and Dorian Warren, co-founders of the …

What might a socio-economic system look like that yields human flourishing in harmony with the rest of life on Earth? And, how might we implement strategies to transition from where we are today to such a system? These are the two questions at the center of the Denizen podcast. This introduction gives additional context on the scope of the podcast …

What do Immigration, Refugee Status and International Adoption all have in common? On Denizen, we meet many different people, and hear about their avenues to the United States from other parts on the world. Today we meet Michelle, an immigrant from Colombia. Here is her crazy story of why she ended up in the U.S. and some of the hoops she needed to…

What do Immigration, Refugee Status and International Adoption all have in common? On Denizen, we meet many different people, and hear about their avenues to the United States from other parts on the world. Today we meet Ivona, a Refugee from Bosnia. Here is her amazing story of how and why she came to the U.S. and what she found weird about small …