Best Onlinecommunities Podcasts (2025)

1
The Transformative Power of Rituals in Modern Communities with Betty Ray 33:28

9M ago33:28

33:28

In this episode of the Cohere Podcast, hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas talk with community expert Betty Ray about the profound impact of rituals on personal and community well-being. Betty shares her extensive experience and research on the role of rituals in fostering belonging, purpose, and navigating transitions. The conversation delve…

1
Shaping Tomorrow Together: Scott Smith and Susan Cox-Smith on the Dynamics of Futuring 38:24

11M ago38:24

38:24

In the Cohere podcast episode, hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas, along with guests Scott Smith and Susan Cox-Smith, delve into the shift from traditional forecasting to the dynamic practice of futuring, as explored in their works How to Future and Future Cultures. They discuss the importance of evolving strategic frameworks to foster antic…

1
How the Humanistic Values in Organizational Development Can Guide Communities with Dr Sharon Varney and John Hovell 46:49

12M ago46:49

46:49

In the latest thought-provoking episode of Cohere, hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome two distinguished and returning guests. First up, we have Dr. Sharon Varney, a dynamic force in the realm of leadership and organizational development. With a rich background spanning complex organizations across manufacturing, utilities, travel, ba…

1
Art School Every Day with Dave Gray: Insights from School of the Possible 30:01

1y ago30:01

30:01

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas interview Dave Gray, Chief Possibilitarian at School of the Possible. They delve into being a "possibilitarian," exploring how this mindset fosters innovation and openness to new ideas. Dave shares the School of the Possible founding story, an experimental learning …

1
Teasing Out the Best Insights and Ideas From a Volatile 2023 47:48

1y ago47:48

47:48

As we begin 2024, Lauren and Bill would love to hear from you! Please send your suggestions, feedback, and ideas for topics and guests to . Welcome to our special year-end 2023 review of the Cohere podcast. This year, we marked a significant shift in our approach. We moved away from the constraints of seasonal formats, embracing topical series that…

1
Decoding Crypto Adoption with Reneé Barton: A CRADL Report Deep Dive 29:38

1y ago29:38

29:38

In the last episode of 2023 for the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome Reneé Barton, Manager of Impact Research at the Crypto Council for Innovation. They delve into the CRADL report, the crypto industry's first in-depth ethnographic study, which illuminates the varied motivations behind crypto adoption and highlig…

1
Imagining Tomorrow with Rob Hopkins: Cultivating Community and Shaping the Future 41:02

1+ y ago41:02

41:02

In this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas interview Rob Hopkins, Ph.D., co-founder of Transition Network and author, on the power of community imagination in shaping our future. Dubbed a "guest from the future," Rob shares his insights on creating spaces for collective dreaming and the journey towards a hea…

1
Community Ecosystem Development: A Conversation on the State of Practice 32:45

1+ y ago32:45

32:45

In this episode of the Cohere podcast, hosts Bill and Lauren engage in a reflective conversation about the ongoing transitions and emerging trends in community practice. Drawing from their extensive experience, they discuss the evolution of community roles, exploring how a broader approach to community ecosystem development is taking shape.…

1
Navigating the AI Surge: A Conversation with Jeremiah Owyang on Tech Cycles, Community Engagement, and Sensemaking Tools for Business 42:13

1+ y ago42:13

42:13

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas sit down with Silicon Valley veteran Jeremiah Owyang to discuss the evolution of digital technology and the rise of AI. Owyang traces his career back to community leadership roles in tech, emphasizing the importance of transferable skills acquired over decades-long …

1
The History and Future of the Maker Movement with Dale Dougherty 43:35

1+ y ago43:35

43:35

In this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome Dale Dougherty, the founder of Make: Magazine and Maker Faire, and a person who played a key and critical role in the launch of the Maker Movement. Dougherty shares his career journey and his belief that everyone is inherently a maker. The conversation takes…

1
Responsible AI: Appropriate Trust and LLM Fabrication with Mihaela Vorvoreanu, PhD 34:52

1+ y ago34:52

34:52

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas dive deep into AI ethics with Mihaela Vorvoreanu, Director of UX Research and RAI Education for Microsoft's Aether. The conversation primarily focuses on "appropriate trust" in AI, emphasizing the need for accountability in AI systems. Vorvoreanu boldly challenges l…

1
Evolution of Learning: Moving Beyond Communities of Practice with the Wenger-Trayners 42:09

1+ y ago42:09

42:09

Episode Summary: In the latest episode of the Cohere podcast, social learning theorists Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner delve into an engaging discussion with co-hosts Dr. Lauren Vargas and Bill Johnston. The guests explore the evolution of communities of practice, their forthcoming CoP Guidebook, and their unique workshops and retreats. They pr…

1
How Hopeful Stories Can Shape a Better Future with Ed Finn 51:54

2y ago51:54

51:54

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas chat with Ed Finn, the founding director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University. As an associate professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and the School of Arts, Media, and Engineering, Finn provides fascinat…

1
Navigating the Customer Experience Landscape with Esteban Kolsky 49:38

2y ago49:38

49:38

In this episode, Bill and Lauren engage chat with esteemed customer experience analyst and researcher Esteban Kolsky. They delve into the complex world of customer experience, discussing the importance of community, the hype around generative AI, and how to sift through the noise to identify critical signals, trends, and patterns. This conversation…

1
From human-centered social networks to the Plentiverse with Meena Palaniappan 31:31

2y ago31:31

31:31

In this episode, Bill and Lauren engage in a conversation with Meena Palaniappan, the Founder, and CEO of Atma Connect, as she discusses her journey of building Atma Go, a tool for community change that operates on a hyperlocal level in Indonesia, Puerto Rico, and Ukraine. Palaniappan introduces the concept of the ‘plentiverse,’ which contrasts the…

1
Exploring AI as a Force Multiplier / Announcing AI & Community Research 23:21

2y ago23:21

23:21

In this podcast episode, Lauren and Bill revisit their conversation from the beginning of the year and discuss the trends, drivers, and forces they are paying attention to as they enter a new season. They dive into the recently released , which covers 14 different areas impacting technology. They highlight the generative AI trend, which is becoming…

1
Exploring Conversational Leadership With John Hovell 38:53

2y ago38:53

38:53

The convergence of knowledge management and organizational development with conversational leadership and ‘communityship’ As a leader in the convergence of Knowledge Management (KM) and Organization Development (OD), John Hovell is the Managing Director and co-founder of STRATactical. He is a practitioner, speaker, and author of OD/KM strategies an…

1
Examining Our Collective Relationship With AI - a Conversation With Venessa Paech 47:17

2y ago47:17

47:17

Venessa Paech is an internationally regarded online community strategist with over 25 years of experience building community online. Venessa is also a PhD candidate studying the intersection of AI and community, and a global authority on communities and community management. In the first Cohere episode of 2023, Venessa joins Bill Johnston and Dr. L…

1
A New Home for the Cohere Podcast and an Outlook on 2023 17:39

2y ago17:39

17:39

Hi everyone, welcome to 2023, and Lauren and I are here today to give you a quick update on our plans for the Cohere podcast! This year we are breaking away from the concept (and constraints) of the idea of seasons. We will be pursuing topical series instead, which will help us cover a wider range of topics and synch more naturally with our work an…

1
The Role of Friendship in Enhancing Virtual Experiences with Joi Podgorny 39:32

2y ago39:32

39:32

Joi Podgorny returns to the Cohere podcast to discuss her unique perspective on the state of the Metaverse with hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas. In season 1, in the early stages of the pandemic, Joi and Bill explored the part communities, and in particular VR-based communities, might play during the lockdown and socially-distanced period …

1
Our Intention is Not to Obsess Over Twitter 40:27

2+ y ago40:27

40:27

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas talk about the state of social media generally and twitter in particular. Discussing twitter as one of the canaries in the social media coal mine, Bill and Lauren look back to the dawn of social media and discuss the concerns that early community leaders expressed when "soci…

1
Exploring Immersion with Ed Rodley 1:01:04

2+ y ago1:01:04

1:01:04

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas chat with cultural professional Ed Rodley about innovative experience design. Ed shares how his experience as a museum technologist has prepared him to explore and challenge the concept of ‘immersion’. This season, we are identifying the critical mindsets, skill sets, and to…

1
Designing Comfortable Digital Spaces with Melanie Kahl 47:31

2+ y ago47:31

47:31

On this post-Summer break episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome design and strategy leader Melanie Kahl to discuss how we might design more comfortable shared digital spaces. Using Melanie's recent article "" as a jumping off point, Bill and Lauren speak with Melanie about her career, her design and strategy pra…

1
Exploring the Open Metaverse with Vincent Boon 47:35

2+ y ago47:35

47:35

Community pioneer Vincent Boon returns to the Cohere podcast to discuss his latest project with Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas - the OpenMeta DAO. The OpenMeta DAO is gathering a community to ensure the future of the metaverse is human-centered, fair, and interoperable. Both the overall mission of the OpenMeta DAO, as well as the OpenMeta DAO …

1
Making Sense of Crypto with Kent Langley 43:02

3y ago43:02

43:02

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, technologist and co-founder of OpenEXO Kent Langley joins Bill to discuss the current realities of crypto. Kent and Bill cover a range of topics, from the origin of blockchain, to how blockchains actually work, and current misconceptions about crypto. They then delve into questions about the relationship betwe…

1
Community Cycles and What's Different (and the same) This Time 51:50

3y ago51:50

51:50

This week Lauren and I take a side trip from our Season 3 theme of Metaverse to talk about the cyclical (at least to date) nature of online community investment. In this unfiltered episode, we share how this cycle has helped shape our careers and explore questions that seem to come up in every cycle: With each subsequent era, why do we have to rele…

1
Do DAOs Hold the Secret of Orchestrating Collaboration? 45:32

3y ago45:32

45:32

In this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas discuss the early promise (and obvious issues) with DAOs (Distributed Autonomous Organizations). Bill and Lauren have an in-depth discussion to try and separate the value and future utility of the DAO model vs. the current hype. DAOs have been described as "digital flash mob…

1
What Role Might NFTs Play In Future Communities? 35:29

3y ago35:29

35:29

Do organizations have the digital competence and skills to distinguish between a short-term trend (that might turn out to be a scam) and a long-term iteration of its digital activities? In this episode, we discuss why NFTs are a phenomenon, and the information and questions community builders may want to consider, including: NFTs are all the rage -…

1
Exploring a Betterverse 33:40

3y ago33:40

33:40

The current Metaverse is a mirage. The pursuit of the Metaverse vision could lead us to a better Internet. On the first episode of Season 3 of the Cohere podcast, we (Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas) frame of this season’s topic: the Metaverse. As they did with “community”, Facebook’s announcement of the company’s move to focus on the Metaverse…

1
Announcing Season 3 of the Cohere Podcast 4:38

3y ago4:38

4:38

Season 3 of the Cohere podcast is just around the corner. In Season 2, Dr. Lauren Vargas and Bill Johnston explored the role networks play in our lives - from the obvious to the subtle. In Season 3, Lauren and Bill focus on the topic dominating the discussion of our collective digital future: the Metaverse. The discussion will go beyond the hyperbo…

1
Leadership in the Midst of Constant Change 43:44

3+ y ago43:44

43:44

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, Lauren and Bill talk to Dr. Sharon Varney, author of the new book "Leadership in Complexity and Change", and leading researcher and practitioner in the field of Complexity Science. In the early 2000s, Drd Varney came across complexity theory. "That’s how the world really works", she thought! And so began her j…

1
The Role of Identity in Creating a Better Internet with Kaliya Young 45:51

3+ y ago45:51

45:51

Kaliya Young is many things: an advocate for open Internet identity standards, a leader in the identity space - including hosting the Internet Identity Workshop, a published author, and a skilled Open Space facilitator. On this episode of the Cohere podcast, Kaliya joins Bill to discuss the history of online identity, what events led us to the cons…

1
METAVERSE METAVERSE METAVERSE (and a great cyberpunk primer list) 9:53

3+ y ago9:53

9:53

In this short and timely conversation, Bill and Lauren discuss the concept of the Metaverse, how thinking in the narrative structures of science fiction might help us understand the concept and a slew of great book recommendations. Enjoy! We'lll be back in early November with new episodes.By Bill Johnston

1
How the Pandemic Forced Online Collaboration to Mature with Nancy White 46:43

3+ y ago46:43

46:43

In this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome Nancy White back to the show. Nancy is a true polymath, involved in shaping the early online community and collaboration movement and also deeply versed in group facilitation. Nancy is the Founder of Full Circle Associates and has a long history of working with globa…

1
The Role of Communities in Navigating Disruption With Charlene Li 43:43

3+ y ago43:43

43:43

In this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas discuss the future of communities with digital transformation and disruptive leadership expert Charlene Li. We speak with Charlene about her new book “The Disruption Mindset”, the evolving role of social technologies, and the pitfalls and opportunities of leading during peri…

1
Networks and Transformational Communities - With Bill Johnston and Dr Lauren Vargas 43:06

3+ y ago43:06

43:06

On this episode of the Cohere Podcast, Bill and Lauren review highlights from Season 2 guests, look back on formative roles in their respective careers and dig into the topic of transformational communities. From Bill: The plan for this season of the Cohere podcast is for Lauren and me to use the podcast as a means to learn and make meaning in publ…

1
The "Great Connecting" Continues with Jim Cashel 32:09

3+ y ago32:09

32:09

In this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill and Lauren speak with returning guest Jim Cashel about the progress of the "Great Connecting" - the global rollout of broadband Internet - during the COVID19 pandemic. The conversation covers a wide range of topics, including the role of the Internet during COVID lockdowns, having our realities largely me…

1
Building Communities with Purpose and Integrity with Carrie Melissa Jones 37:43

3+ y ago37:43

37:43

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, Lauren and Bill welcome author and community strategist Carrie Melissa Jones. Carrie has been managing online communities since the early 2000s. Over the course of her career, she has trained, advised, and coached leaders of thousands of online communities. Carrie is the coauthor of Building Brand Communities.…

1
The Golden Age of Online Communities & the WELL with Gail Ann Williams 41:13

4y ago41:13

41:13

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas are joined by pioneering community strategist and manager Gail Ann Williams. Gail watched the dawn of online communities through her participation and eventual leadership position at the WELL - one of the first successful large-scale online communities. Prior to any research…

1
Why Community Leaders Need to Understand Networks - With Bill Johnston and Dr Lauren Vargas 37:55

4y ago37:55

37:55

In the first episode of Season 2 of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas explore the concept of "network" as it relates to online and real-life communities. In the episode they cover: The many definitions of “Network” The technical infrastructure linking people and things The implicit and dynamic connections between people in a g…

1
Announcing Season 2 of the Cohere Podcast! 1:33

4y ago1:33

1:33

We are thrilled to announce Season 2 of the Cohere podcast! I say "we", because I'm joined this season by Dr. Lauren Vargas. Together, we will explore the role networks play in our lives, and the range of disciplines and range of research focused on the emerging field of network science. The reason for the focus on networks? Complex human networks …

1
Data Science and Online Communities with Will Roberts 19:32

4+ y ago19:32

19:32

In this episode of the Cohere podcast, I speak with Will Roberts, a data scientist at IBM, about the implications of data science and AI for online communities. Will and I talk through: A definition of AI / ML How machine learning is being applied in the enterprise More specifically, how ML & AI are / might be applied to customer experience general…

1
Co-creating Business With Your Community Vincent Boon 54:24

4+ y ago54:24

54:24

Vincent Boon is a giant in the community space. A natural community leader, Vincent initially saw the power of community when hundreds of people began to show up to learn to play poker at his meetup. From there Vince went on to build pioneering communities in the gaming space, and create a fundamentally new model of community-powered business at Gi…

1
Revisiting the Theory of Disruptive Innovation with Karen Dillon 35:05

4+ y ago35:05

35:05

Today the term "disruption" is commonly used in business to signal a wide range of disparate concepts - from new business initiatives to an individual or team pursuing seemingly innovative strategies. The concept of disruption comes from Clayton Christensen's theory of disruptive innovation, which he explored in his first book, "The Innovators Dile…

1
Building a Human-Centered Social Network with Meena Palaniappan 35:17

5y ago35:17

35:17

In the developed world, the promise of social media (including Facebook) to create positive change has fallen well short of the mark. Mass social media is becoming increasingly manipulative and toxic. In the developing world, mass social media's negative effects are even more dangerous, as manipulation and misinformation can quickly lead to real-wo…

1
Here Comes Everybody (Else) with Randy Farmer 24:41

5y ago24:41

24:41

I spoke with Randy Farmer about the recent increase in virtual community participation triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this bonus episode (~15 min), I speak with virtual community pioneer Randy Farmer about this influx of new participants, how they are likely different from your current community cohort, how to understand their needs and eng…

1
Developing Expansive Community Business Models with Joi Podgorny 50:43

5y ago50:43

50:43

This week, I sat down (virtually, of course) with Joi Podgorny, Founder of Good People Solutions. Joi has had a very impressive and wide-ranging career, including developing and launching successful community business models for the wildly popular children's brands Animal Jam and Chuggington. In her work with Good People Solutions, she focuses on c…

1
Developing a Transformational Community to Lift Families Out of Poverty with Jorge Blandón 34:20

5y ago34:20

34:20

Leaders often use the word "transformation" to describe a small or incremental change, but the definition is "a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance". When using the phrase "Transformational Communities", my intention is to define these communities as having a profound and thorough change effect on participating stakeholders. One of th…

1
A Human-Centered Approach to Digital Leadership with Lauren Vargas, PhD 31:59

5y ago31:59

31:59

Too often the deployment of digital strategies and tools begins humans conforming to technology limitations instead of technology being deployed intentionally in the service of human needs and opportunities - a human-centered approach. Dr. Lauren Vargas joins me on the Cohere podcast to discuss bringing humans back into the center of the "digital t…

1
The Connected Future of Design with Patrick Newbery 47:13

5y ago47:13

47:13

During the COVID19 crisis, digital networks have played a critical part in keep humanity connected and informed. The adoption of networked experiences has scaled exponentially, seemingly overnight. In most cases, these designed experiences were crafted for very different contexts than what they are being used for. In our new, digitally connected ye…

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Onlinecommunities Podcasts

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