The future is being built in the spaces most of us never learned to see.

In this episode, Lisa talks with journalist and entrepreneur Jennifer Brandel. Jennifer is the co-founder of Zebras Unite, and creator of the Interstitium, a theory of the hidden connective work that keeps communities, movements, and systems alive. Jenn has spent her career naming the “in-between” roles that make change possible and giving shape to the people who do them.

They explore:

• The Interstitium Jenn's new framework for the unseen connective tissue of society
• Hexagon people those who bridge local life and global ideas
• Sacred hospitality how to create spaces where real transformation can happen
• Why connection is the real antidote to loneliness, polarization, and overwhelm
• Zebras Unite a model for building companies that are profitable and regenerative

Jenn shares stories from journalism, civic innovation, and community building, showing how naming and noticing these patterns helps people feel less alone.

This conversation is an invitation to reconnect with each other, design healthier ways of working together, and imagine futures built on reciprocity, meaning, and resilience.

Links from the show:

• Jennifer’s website
• The Intersitium
• Hexagon People
• Zebras Unite
• Zebras Fix what Unicorns Break

Great coaches train better people, not just better athletes.

Coach John Tanner (JT) is about to start his 29th season as the Stanford women’s water polo coach. On this episode of How We Future, JT and Lisa explore how coaching goes far beyond the pool. Over decades of leading championship teams, JT has developed a coaching style that focuses on resilience, communication skills, and the value of practice.

He helps athletes become confident, empathetic, and thoughtful leaders. Whether it’s having his athletes make TED Talks for each other or facilitating weekly check-ins about how his team is feeling about their academics, JT prioritizes training methods that will help his students long after their athletic careers.

JT and Lisa discuss:

• How high-pressure sports environments can cultivate empathy
• Why JT integrates storytelling and reflection into his team’s daily routine
• How intentional, consistent practice is crucial to navigating the highest-pressure moments
• The mindset behind coaching for long-term growth, not just short-term victories
• Ways to translate JT’s coaching strategies into personal or professional leadership practices

Leadership isn’t only forged in the workplace. It’s practiced every day in the ways we connect, communicate, and lift others.

Links from the show:

• Coaching Citizens Athletes, Stanford Report Article
• The Coaches Wore Cardinal, Stanford Magazine
• The Right Call by Sally Jenkins (Lisa’s favorite book about sports and leadership)
• Stanford Women’s Water Polo Speaker Series
• See JT on Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance Female Athlete Research Meeting (FARM)

Pleasure isn’t the enemy of sustainability. It might be the path to it.

Today, Lisa Kay Solomon is joined by Dana Cowin, longtime Food & Wine editor-in-chief, storytelling innovator, and founder of Progressive Hedonist, to talk about how creativity, curiosity, and continual reinvention shape a meaningful life.

From leading one of the most influential food magazines in the world to uplifting underrepresented voices and sustainable culinary practices, Dana has spent her career expanding our understanding of what “good food” means.

You’ll learn:

• Why reinvention is less about starting over and more about listening to what excites you now
• How Progressive Hedonism helps us rethink pleasure, connection, and long-term well-being
• The role sustainable food practices play in shaping a healthier future for people and the planet
• What Dana discovered when she left her “dream job” after 21 years
• Why curiosity is the engine that keeps creativity alive

Together, Lisa and Dana dive into the idea of being a Progressive Hedonist: the belief that pleasure and responsibility can coexist. Dana shares how eating deliciously can also mean eating ethically, and how sustainability becomes far more compelling when it’s rooted in joy rather than guilt.

This episode is a reminder that pleasure isn’t frivolous, it’s fuel. And when paired with intention, it becomes a powerful force for shaping a better future.

Links from the show:

• Progressive Hedonist manifesto
• Are you a Progressive Hedonist? Take the quiz!
• Learn how to throw your own Progressive Hedonist dinner party!
• Check out Dana’s book: Mastering My Mistakes: Learning to Cook with 65 Chefs and Over 100 Recipes
• Dana’s TED Talk: How ugly, unloved food can change the world