What If We? is a new podcast about advocacy, persuasion, and the messages that move us. Hosted by Kaitlin Funaro from advocacy agency RALLY, each episode features real talk with advocates and strategists working on issues like marriage equality, education equity, climate action, racial justice, and many others. Follow wherever you get your podcasts, and reach out to us at pod@wearerally.com.
We know we need to move beyond resistance and burnout toward a more inclusive vision of the future that people can see themselves in.
In this episode, Kaitlin Funaro sits down with Shanelle Mathews, founder of the Radical Communicators Network, to dig into their new report, (https://risingnarratives.com/)Rising Narratives for a Radical Future: Talking Across Difference for a Multiracial Democracy (https://risingnarratives.com/), and what its research can teach us about communicating with different audiences while working toward a shared goal.
They discuss how social movements can reach people who see the world differently, why shared values matter, and how trusted messengers and positive visions of the future can help bring people together.
In This Episode:
What makes a future “radical”?
How do you tailor messages for someone who is experiencing a very different media ecosystem?
When does political language bring people together, and when can it push people away?
How do we communicate with people who think the whole system is rigged against them? Which, in today’s climate, could be any of the audience personas.
How do we acknowledge people's real pain, like soul-crushing jobs and debt, without making them feel even more hopeless?
Who are the trusted messengers today?
How do we define a positive vision for the future?
Resources:
Listen to "Main Character Energy (https://pod.link/1822136603/episode/QnV6enNwcm91dC0xODA4NTkxNA)", with RALLY Principal Hillary Moglen and Riki Conrey, Principal Scientist at Harmony Labs (https://harmonylabs.org/) to learn more about audience identity and the personas discussed in this episode.
Learn more about RadComms: Radical Communicators Network (RadComms) (https://radcommsnetwork.org/)
Read the report: Rising Narratives for a Radical Future (https://risingnarratives.com/)
21 Aug 2026
The New Playbook for Youth Activism
Social movements are only as strong as their ability to adapt. But what happens when older and younger generations clash over how to build the future?
In this episode, Kaitlin Funaro, sits down with Xavier Ramey (https://www.xavierramey.com/), CEO of Justice Informed, and Sean Anderson, Director at RALLY, to explore the complicated dynamics of intergenerational movements. They discuss how Gen Z and Gen Alpha are rewriting the rules of organizing, why they fundamentally distrust legacy institutions, and how online interests are shaping their real-world identities.
We explore how organizations can stop clinging to old strategies and start building meaningful, youth-led progress, and why true progress means bridging the gap between the two groups.
In This Episode:
Why do intergenerational movements actually matter, and what do we gain by bridging the age gap?
What unique advantages do young people bring to the table beyond fresh energy and impatience?
Is Gen Z's organizing style just typical youthful rebellion, or is it a fundamental shift in how identities are formed?
If intergenerational organizing is so beneficial to progress, why is it still so hard to pull off?
How youth rely heavily on AI and social media while deeply distrusting the institutions that run them
What can legacy organizations, nonprofits, and foundations do right now to create truly welcoming environments for young builders?
16 Jul 2026
America 250: Engaging the patriotic skeptics with WaPo’s Theodore R. Johnson
Fourth of July is a time to celebrate freedom and independence. Right? But what if you’re not feeling particularly patriotic these days?
In this episode of What If We?, host Kaitlin Funaro sits down with Theodore R. Johnson, columnist at The Washington Post and Senior Advisor at New America, and Sheri Klein, Senior Director of Research and Strategy at RALLY, to explore what America’s 250th anniversary means for those of us who hold complicated feelings about where this country has been and where it’s headed.
Drawing on Theodore’s work on civic belonging and Sheri’s expertise in public opinion research, the conversation explores how we can talk about democracy in ways that feel meaningful and inspiring. They also examine the role of trusted messengers, the power of hopeful stories, and why national milestones like America’s 250th anniversary can be an opportunity to bring people together.
In This Episode:
How patriotism and honest criticism can exist at the same time
How do we talk about democracy when it means different things to different people?
How can we use shared values like fairness, freedom, and autonomy to engage people who feel disconnected from democracy?
How patriotic symbols like the American flag can shape the way people see the country and its leaders
The role of trusted messengers in building civic participation
How hope and shared purpose can inspire people to engage in democracy
What gives us hope for America’s next 250 years
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
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