About Beyond the Hyphen: Reform Across Politics and Diplomacy
Welcome to Beyond the Hyphen, a podcast where we explore the intersection of identity, politics, and civic engagement through the lens of interdisciplinary dialogue. Join Host Mark Li for insightful conversations with policymakers, educators, artists, advocates, and industry leaders as they examine the ideas, challenges, and opportunities shaping our communities and the world around us. Through thoughtful conversations with voices across sectors, Beyond the Hyphen seeks to foster collaboration, curiosity, and civic understanding.
Ep. 31 - Del. Lesley Lopez: From Reporting Politics to Making It; Journalism in Public Service
In this episode of Beyond the Hyphen, Host Mark Li sits down with Maryland State Delegate Lesley Lopez, who represents District 39 in Montgomery County. Before entering elected office, Delegate Lopez built a career spanning journalism, political communications, advocacy, and public service, with experience at ABC News, BBC, CNN, on Capitol Hill, and with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. In this conversation, Delegate Lopez reflects on what changes when you move from asking political leaders questions to answering them yourself. She discusses how journalism shaped the way she understands public issues, what political communications taught her about representation and storytelling, and how becoming an elected official changed her perspective on both sides of that relationship. The conversation also explores her work with immigrant communities, her approach to communicating across diverse constituencies, her experience with gun violence and firearm policy, leadership within Maryland’s Women’s Legislative Caucus, her 2024 congressional campaign, and what young people can learn from careers that cross the boundaries between journalism, communications, and politics.
11 Aug 2026
Ep. 30 - Del. Lily Qi: Elected American; Finding an Immigrant's Voice in Democracy
In this episode of Beyond the Hyphen, Host Mark Li sits down with Maryland State Delegate Lily Qi, the first Chinese-born state legislator in Maryland history.
Drawing from her new memoir, Elected American: From Red China to Blue Maryland, Delegate Qi reflects on her journey from growing up in Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution to building a life and career in the United States. She discusses immigration, identity, belonging, public service, and the experiences that shaped her understanding of American democracy.
The conversation also explores her work in economic development and government, mobilizing Chinese American voters, building coalitions across diverse AAPI communities, the meaning of being a “first,” and what young immigrants and Asian American students should understand about finding their own place in civic life.
4 Jul 2026
Ep. 29 - Stanford Thompson (Executive Director, Equity Arc & Founder, Play on Philly): Where Music & the Arts Meet Democracy
Host Mark Li sits down with Stanford Thompson, Executive Director of Equity Arc and founder of Play On Philly, for a conversation on music, leadership, and the power of belonging.
From his early years as a trumpet student at the Curtis Institute of Music to studying Venezuela's El Sistema movement and building two nationally recognized organizations, Thompson reflects on the experiences that shaped his belief that artistic excellence and educational opportunity go hand in hand.
Together, Mark and Stanford explore the future of classical music, coalition-building, identity, and the role artists can play beyond the concert hall. They discuss Equity Arc's mission to expand pathways for young musicians, the importance of community and representation, lessons from the nationally publicized U.S. Marine Band controversy, and why the arts remain a powerful force for civic engagement and social change.
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