What keeps you going on the hard days?Traci Donnelly sits down with Rudy Espinoza, CEO of Inclusive Action, for a conversation that opens with an Irish poet and lands somewhere most nonprofit leaders rarely go out loud. They talk about the unknown self beneath the work, what it means to fight for communities that deserve dignity and resources, and why the best funders don't just write a check. They show up.Rudy's organization has deployed over $10 million in microloans and grants to street vendors, home-based businesses, and immigrant entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. But this episode isn't really about the numbers. It's about why the work matters, and what it takes to keep showing up even when you're running on empty.
17 Jul 2026
STRAW HAT GOOFY AND CONNECTING THROUGH MOVIES
On this episode of Making Impact, host Traci Donnelly sits down with Juju Green (aka Straw Hat Goofy), who was recently named a Time 100 Creator, to chat about life, parenting, and the magic of cinema. Juju opens up about growing up in Compton, finding his ""why"", and how sharing his love for film became his favorite way to connect with people. Plus, he shares how he balances viral fame with raising his 8-year-old daughter, who is officially his biggest fan (and toughest critic). For more information on Making Impact, visit www.makeanimpact.org.
3 Jul 2026
THE VOICE OF PIGLET AND THE POWER OF FEAR
Piglet is terrified of everything. And he's the bravest one in the Hundred Acre Wood.Traci Donnelly sits down with Travis Oates, who has voiced Piglet for nearly 20 years, for a conversation that goes much deeper than animation. They talk about the difference between real fear and false fear, why we're taught to tamp down the emotions that actually protect us, and what it looks like to keep moving forward when everything in you is screaming to stop.It's a conversation for anyone who has ever shown up anyway.
17 Jun 2026
FOR WOMEN BY WOMEN
Traci Donnelly sits down with Ani B. Packard, the inaugural Executive Director of Visionary Women, for a wide-ranging conversation about what it takes to build an organization that actually scales.Ani brings a rare vantage point: experience across the private, public, and philanthropic sectors, and she's spent the last several years translating that into something concrete at Visionary Women. In this episode, she and Traci go deep on what growth looks like when mission is the product, how the landscape for impact-driven work has fundamentally shifted, and what it means to lead as a woman in a sector that has always asked women to carry the most while offering them the least.
3 Jun 2026
WHY SUMMER CAMP IN 2026?
In this special summer episode kicking off Season Two, Michael Tessler steps in for Traci Donnelly to interview someone who has made a real impact on his own life: Pete Hare, Executive Director of the Keewaydin Foundation.Tessler isn't a neutral host on this one. He went to Camp Keewaydin. This place shaped him. And in this conversation, he and Pete make the case that 130 years of tradition isn't a history lesson. It's an answer to a very current problem. They talk about screens, about what gets lost when kids never unplug, and about why the woods, water, and shining green canoes still provide something that AI can never replace. For more information on Make An Impact visit www.makeanimpact.org or to learn about the Keewaydin Foundation visit www.Keewaydin.org
4 Mar 2026
Making Impact: Working Relationships
This week on Making Impact, Traci Donnelly is joined by longtime business partner and co-founder of Make An Impact, Steve Donowitz. The two dig into what it really means to build something meaningful with someone you trust, exploring the dynamics of working with friends, why great leaders actively seek out differing opinions, and how a strong business mind is just as essential in the nonprofit world as anywhere else.
18 Feb 2026
Making Impact: Aaron Alexander Tells All
This week on Making Impact, Traci Donnelly is joined by poet and The Reel Rejects host Aaron Alexander for a beautiful and deeply honest conversation exploring identity, bullying, body dysmorphia, anxiety, and the healing power of art therapy. Together, they unpack a side of Aaron rarely seen, reflecting on how creativity becomes a refuge, a path toward self-understanding, and a powerful tool for survival and growth.
4 Feb 2026
Making Impact: Coy’s Comic Books Save The World?
In this episode of Making Impact, Traci Donnelly sits down with comic book expert, HBO Max host, and Reel Rejects co-founder Coy Jandreau to explore how comic books have shaped culture, challenged power, and helped generations discover their own inner hero.From superheroes as modern mythology to comics as vehicles for social change, Coy unpacks why these stories matter now more than ever and how fandom can inspire courage, empathy, and action in the real world.Featuring insights from Coy’s work on HBO Max and The Reel Rejects, this conversation reframes comics not as escapism but as blueprints for impact.
21 Jan 2026
Making Impact: And the Emmy goes to...
In this week’s episode of Making Impact, host and President of Make An Impact, Traci Donnelly, sits down with Brandy Curry, Chief of Staff at the Television Academy of Arts & Sciences, creative leader, and producer of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Together, they explore the evolving landscape of impact storytelling and how to navigate today’s political realities while continuing to do essential, mission-driven work.
8 Jan 2026
Making Impact: Unfiltered with Greg Alba of The Reel Rejects
Greg Alba returns for an exclusive, unfiltered conversation—pulling back the curtain on the darker realities of fame, burnout, and the hidden pressures of being both a high-profile content creator and a business owner. In this candid interview, Greg speaks openly about the emotional toll, the expectations, and the personal cost that audiences rarely see. Hosted by Traci Donnelly, this episode offers a rare look behind the brand and into the human side of success.
17 Dec 2025
Making Impact: Return on Impact (ROI Reimagined)
On this week’s episode of Making Impact, Barbara Mulvee—Make An Impact board member and former Executive Director—joins Dr. Claire Wang (stepping in for Traci Donnelly) to explore how the Impact Collaborative pillar is transforming the way organizations work together to create real, lasting impact.
3 Dec 2025
Making Impact: CFOs Are People Too
Make An Impact co-founder Steve Donowitz joins The Reel Rejects' Michael Tessler (stepping in for Traci Donnelly) on this week’s episode as we pull back the curtain on what it really takes to keep impact organizations running. From budgets and burnout to big-picture strategy, Steve brings the wit, wisdom, and war stories only a finance leader can.
18 Nov 2025
Making Impact: The Tools of Tomorrow
In this special episode of Making Impact, Dr. Claire Wang steps in for Traci Donnelly to host an insightful conversation with Lisa Harris about one of the core pillars of Make An Impact. Together, they explore how our expanding network of purpose-driven organizations and innovative impact solutions is reshaping the way communities access support, build capacity, and drive meaningful change.
5 Nov 2025
Making Impact: Universal Basic Income (But Better)
In this episode, host Traci Donnelly, founder of Make An Impact, explores a peer-driven alternative to universal basic income.
24 Oct 2025
Making Impact: Getting Real with The Reel Rejects
What makes a story powerful enough to change a life?In Episode One of Making Impact we sit down with Greg Alba, creator of The Reel Rejects, to explore the emotional force of storytelling and how it shapes the way we see ourselves and the world.Hosted by Traci Donnelly, President of Make An Impact, this conversation brings together Dr. Claire Wang, Executive Director and data scientist, and Michael Tessler, award-winning producer and CEO of Multihouse. Together, they dive deep into the art, science, and heart behind stories that move us, and why impact storytelling matters now more than ever. Don't forget to like and subscribe or visit makeanimpact.org to learn.
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