Advertise on podcast: Champions of the Lost Causes

Host Marvin Stockwell talks to Libby Crimmings, president of Atlas Community Studios, at her office in Des Moines, Iowa. The pandemic showed everyone just how portable some types of work can be, and that was an advantage to small to midsize cities looking to attract and retain creative professionals who can do their job from anywhere. Marvin and Libby talk about how adaptive reuse of old buildings is helping renovate downtowns and neighborhoods across the United States, and how Libby’s work is helping communities adapt to meet evolving quality-of-life expectations.

Host Marvin Stockwell talks to Joe Vital and Dean Dovolis of the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute at Dean's office in Minneapolis. With the help of many, Joe and Dean have championed the cause of the East Phillips Depot, a building that people in the surrounding neighborhood want repurposed as an urban farm and commercial center, but that the City of Minneapolis wants to demolish, despite the environmental dangers to people living nearby. Decades-old disinvestment, redlining, environmental racism, a hostile and indifferent mayoral administration, marches in the streets, lawsuits, occupations, and forced removal by police have all been part of this eight-year fight. Marvin, Joe and Dean talk about all that, but also about how the tide has recently turned in favor of the activists.

Host Marvin Stockwell talks to Keith Hammonds and Charlie Denison, owner and editor of the Boulder Monitor, at their office in Boulder, MT. Championing the cause of a free press has always come with its challenges, but journalism is in the midst of a paradigm shift away from printed newspapers to digital distribution, and toward new funding models, among which there is still no clear standard. Marvin talks to Keith and Charlie about the challenges of informing a public that has many other options for receiving information, and about the unique role journalism must continue to play alongside owned media and social media.

Host Marvin Stockwell talks to Mark Lakeman at his office in Portland. Mark is the founder of the City Repair movement, which has changed countless neighborhoods in Portland, OR and spread to other U.S. cities and other countries. People need civic gathering spots, but when American cities were designed, the plazas and piazzas were left out. Marvin and Mark talk about why social bonds between neighbors have suffered as a result, how that maps over to larger societal problems, and the steps Mark and others have taken to change that, one neighborhood at a time. *We apologize for the poor audio quality of this interview.*

Host Marvin Stockwell talks to Alyse Nelson, a board member of Squeaky Wheels, a grassroots, bike-advocacy nonprofit in Bainbridge Island, Washington. Marvin and Alyse discuss Alyse's work to implement Bainbridge Island's comprehensive bicycle pedestrian infrastructure plan, and how her day job as city planner with the City of Seattle helps her understand the pressures and limitations of her Bainbridge Island municipal counterparts, as they work together to realize change.

Host Marvin Stockwell talks to book marketing coach Sue Campbell in Portland, Oregon. A published author herself, Sue helps authors overcome self-doubt and develop the mindset and habits to bring their books into the world. Sue and Marvin talk about the importance of books, how stories have power, and how Sue works to remove traditional barriers to writing to make the world more just and kind.

Host Marvin Stockwell talks to VooDoo Doughnut founder Ken Pogson in Portland, Oregon. Even a for-profit business is a cause to those hearty souls who take the risk, but Voodoo Doughnut has had a charitable thrust since its earliest days. Ken explains how the company's philanthropy started simply enough with giving away day-old doughnuts, and how it grew along with the business into larger checks that do more good. Ken and Marvin also explore Ken's Memphis roots. Back in the mid 1980s, Ken was Marvin's first real boss at the old Fare Four movie theater. Ken was shaped by Memphis’ 80s and 90s Antenna Club music scene and his friends in the Grifters. Throw in Memphis pro wrestling and Prince Mongo's various establishments, and all of a sudden the Voodoo Doughnut brand makes complete sense. It's uniquely Portland, but has Memphis’ hands all over it.

Host Marvin Stockwell talks to Brand New Voices publisher Cory Cachola in Portland, OR. Cory is an advocate for web3 and the community that's growing around this emerging evolution of human connection on the web. The promise of the internet was always to connect us, but as the tech and computing power have improved, so has the web's ability to deliver on the depth of what we all dreamed was possible in the web’s earliest days. Cory is a proponent of cryptocurrency, NFTs and the blockchain, but he's most interested in why these developments have come about, and what it says about human yearning for connection, meaning, freedom, and opportunity.

Host Marvin Stockwell talks to Jason Waligoske, owner of Yep Yep Organic Farm in unincorporated Dexter, Oregon. For Jason, the benefits of eating organic started with working on his grandparents' farm as a boy, then later working at, then owning his favorite health food store. After a short-lived, crop-science job showed him the negative effects of pesticides and GMO technology, he had a vision for starting an organic farm. Jason chose aquaponic farming because it creates a symbiotic relationship between the crops that grow in water and the fish that swim below, and because he says it creates produce with superior nutritional value and taste.

Host Marvin Stockwell talks to artist and musician Joe Demaree at his home in San Jose, California. Many artists first champion the cause of their creative vision and then organize their lives around moving it forward. Joe has an unwavering commitment to his artistic vision, and the community he's built around art, music and the free exchange of ideas.

Host Marvin Stockwell talks to educator Mischelle Brown in Oakland, California. Mischelle's use of risky play to provide better learning opportunities for her neurodivergent students was at first seen as unorthodox, and besides, there was no funding at her school for what she wanted to do. Undaunted, Mischelle crowdfunded the money she needed through ioby, and after after engaging in rock climbing, blowing glass and building forts, students' grades went up and disciplinary incidents went down. In fact, the benefits of risky play are well-documented in research dating back to the 1960s. Now armed with the data to show her program works, Mischelle is looking for new ways to use risky play to improve education.

Host Marvin Stockwell talks to Terrence Murtaugh in Phoenix, AZ. Terrence is the founder of the Heavy Pedal, a cycling apparel company based in Phoenix. Marvin and Terrence talk about his non-traditional, iterative path to finding his calling. His transition from graffiti artist to graphic designer, web developer and business owner with a track record of backing good causes didn't happen overnight. It started by championing the cause of his own life, and digging down deep to expect more of himself.