OPTIMIST In Progress

After the isolation and loneliness of the pandemic, we are rediscovering the positive benefits of social connections again and no one understands this better than our guest this week, Dr Jonathan Leary, who has taken holistic wellbeing to a whole new level. Dr Leary created Remedy Place, the world's first social wellness club, which is founded on alternative and natural health prin

As we enter the recovery phase of the pandemic and at a time of great alienation and dislocation from society, how do we find a sense of belonging and strength in others and the wider community? To answer this, Tom and Drea reflect on the conversation with frontline optimist Tony Kim who, like many children of immigrants, grew up straddling two cultures and learned to navigate and

This week on OIP, we talk to Naomi Hallum, the CEO of Million Dollar Vegan, about taking on the enormous mission of educating and empowering people to adopt a plant-based lifestyle. While the environmental, ethical, personal, and public health benefits of a vegan lifestyle are overwhelmingly compelling, the world’s resistance to giving up animal products makes this global endeavo

Almost two decades Tom Kay quit his corporate job in London and moved to a small Cornish village to build a company that inspired a love of - and connection to - the sea, in order to better protect our oceans for future generations. Finisterre, makes functional, sustainable clothing for cold water surfers clothing and is one of the pioneering, future-facing brands putting people an

Tony Kim is the founder of Hero Within, a lifestyle fashion brand for fanboys and fangirls of pop culture and the cosplay community. A child of Korean immigrants, he talks to Tom and Drea about the struggles of growing up in the “inbetween” space between two cultures and eventually discovering the superpower of his “third culture”. With the help of his own non-traditional f

Jon Alexander is co-founder of New Citizen Project, and for the past decade he has looked deeply at the impact that the dominant narrative in which we all live - the consumer story - has shaped our lives, our institutions and most troublingly, our self perception. In his new book, Citizens: Why the key to fixing everything is all of us, he hopes to show us how to reclaim the word "

Groundbreaking cannabis activist and consultant Andrew DeAngelo has been a key actor in the legalization of this industry. This week on OIP he talks to Tom and Drea about his personal connection with cannabis on both sides of the law and his commitment to redressing past and continuing injustices through The Last Prisoner Project, a non-profit organization he co-founded with his br

The beginning of a new year can often bring on pressure to make significant changes in our lives. But how often do we really pay attention to the thing right in front of us, to the task at hand? This week, we revisit an episode of Optimist in Progress, in which Dr Drea Letamendi shares her insights on how to create moments of mindfulness as we fold laundry, chop carrots or do the d

It’s easy to feel the heaviness of the setbacks of the past year, and let’s be honest, 2022 has already served up some doozies. Nonetheless, as we move through the year ahead, Tom and Drea discuss how to pause the everyday demands and make plans that spark joy; the importance of saying yes to new things and how we can reframe some of the disappointments of the pandemic. Taking

Tom and Drea talk to future-shaper Tara Roth about what's ahead for social innovation in Los Angeles, the convergence of business and philanthropy, and the conviction and tenacity needed to really create, drive and support meaningful and lasting social change in the city and beyond. As president of the Goldhirsh Foundation, Tara has spearheaded some remarkable and diverse initiativ