Sharing Goodwill

Dec 01 2022
Sharing Goodwill Podcast artwork

Welcome to Sharing Goodwill. Join us as we seek the good: stories of hope, positivity, and inspiration. Each episode, we'll speak candidly with amazing individuals who are committed to doing good for their communities. Our hope is that this podcast will give people an opportunity to take a step back from the negative news that surrounds us and instead find and strive for the good in their everyday lives. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the good.
My hope is that this podcast will give people an opportunity to take a step back from the negative news that surrounds us and instead, hear from people, many of whom you may not initially recognize, about how they find and strive for the good in their everyday lives. #OCGoodwill #SharingGoodwill

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Episode 24: Shukry Cattan of Tiyya Foundation

Dec 01 2022 27 mins  
On this episode of Sharing Goodwill, Eric Smissen connects with Shukry (SHOE-CREE) Cattan, Director of Operations for the Tiyya (TEE-YA) Foundation. Tiyya is a nonprofit organization based in LA and OC that provides economic and educational opportunities for families of refugees, immigrants, and indigenous communities. Shukry and Eric chat about Tiyya’s social enterprise restaura

Episode 23: Nithin Jilla of Dreams for Schools

Oct 31 2022 25 mins  
On this episode of Sharing Goodwill, Eric Smissen connects with Nithin Jilla, Founder and Executive Director of Dreams for Schools, a nonprofit created to inspire, create and educate students to be STEAM literate with hard and soft skills needed to become the critical thinkers, creative leaders, and technologists of tomorrow. I had a great time chatting with Nithin about his own jo

Episode 22: Bryan Ware of The Crayon Initiative

Sep 12 2022 23 mins  
On this episode of Sharing Goodwill, Eric connects with Bryan Ware, Founder and President of the Crayon Initiative. Bryan asked a simple question about what happens to broken crayons when they are no longer usable at schools and restaurants, and turned that into an impactful nonprofit. Bryan and Eric chat about his love for the arts, and how he found a way to merge his manufacturin

Episode 21: Rawan Ita-Diaz of The Art Spread

Aug 12 2022 21 mins  
In this episode of Sharing Goodwill, I chat with Rawan Ita-Diaz, co-founder of The Art Spread, a nonprofit dedicated to leading artists with adversity to success and spreading empathy through art. Rawan’s life changed dramatically after she was hit by a car on her way to work one morning, and she shares openly about the physical and emotional trauma she endured, and how that ulti

Episode 20: John Vargas of Renewable Farms

Jul 21 2022 16 mins  
On this episode of Sharing Goodwill, Eric Smissen sits down with John Vargas, Farms Director of Renewable Farms. Renewable Farms is a nonprofit with a mission to enhance communities through events, agriculture and education. John shares about the local Anaheim farm’s onsite programs for individuals with disabilities and veterans, and how the farm has become a safe and comfortable

Episode 19: Janice Munemitsu, Author of 'The Kindness of Color'

Jun 30 2022 28 mins  
On this episode of Sharing Goodwill, we hear from Janice Munemitsu about her first book “The Kindness of Color.” Janice is an Orange County native and a third-generation Japanese American Sansei. She brought her family’s moving story to life in her new book, detailing the discrimination and racism felt by immigrant families here in Southern California during World War II. She

Episode 18: Cassidy Feder of The Giving Gifts

Jun 02 2022 23 mins  
On this episode of Sharing Goodwill, Eric connects with Cassidy Feder, creator of The Giving Gifts. Cassidy describes The Giving Gifts as a very imperfect organization committed to learning, failing, connection, diversity, transformation, creating & sustaining honest change. The organization creates possibilities for a young person to identify their gift, discover possibilities to

Episode 17: Antoinette Balta of Veterans Legal Institute

May 12 2022 16 mins  
On this episode of Sharing Goodwill, Goodwill of Orange County’s CEO Nicole Suydam connects over conversation with Antoinette Balta, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Veterans Legal Institute. Serving as an Officer with the California State Guard herself, Antoinette noticed that many of the issues that contributed to chronic homelessness for veterans were legal in nature a

Episode 16: Jeanette Knutti of Moxie Marketing & Author of 'Be Kind to Yourself'

Apr 28 2022 20 mins  
On this episode of Sharing Goodwill, Eric connects over conversation with Jeanette Knutti. Jeanette is the Founder & CEO of Moxie Marketing Agency, an Orange County-based company that prides itself on doing ‘marketing with heart.’ She is on a mission to ‘build an empire of love’ by providing marketing services to purpose-driven clients and creating digital & physical produc

Episode 15: Claudia Keller of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County

Mar 02 2022 16 mins  
In this episode of Sharing Goodwill, Nicole Suydam, President and CEO of Goodwill of Orange County, connects over conversation with Claudia Keller, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Nicole and Claudia discuss what food insecurity looks like today in Orange County and how the pandemic has elevated the need for access to quality foods. Claudia also dishes on Second Ha