Better Good with Scott M. Curran

President & CEO of the US Soccer Foundation Ed Foster-Simeon on Why Soccer is More than Just a Game

About 4 billion people will tune in for this year’s World Cup, which is being held on American soil for the first time in over 30 years. But soccer is more than a globally unifying sport. It's a shared language, a lifetime of learning, and something kids, families, and entire communities can rally around almost instantly. You don't need much to start: a ball, a bit of space, a few people willing to play. What you do need is access, a place, some structure, and someone who cares enough to show up consistently. On this episode of BETTER GOOD, Scott M. Curran (https://www.scottmcurran.com/ [https://www.scottmcurran.com/]) is joined by Ed Foster-Simeon, President and CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation for a conversation about youth sports, community development, and how soccer is opening doors for kids in under-resourced communities across the country. Ed explains how the Foundation is hitting 1,000 mini pitches installed nationwide this year, and training 100,000 coaches through its Yes Coach initiative to become mentors who teach life skills alongside soccer skills. He traces his own path from journalism at USA Today to leading one of the most impactful youth development organizations in the country, and makes the case that coaches are among the most underutilized resources in America—and that what happens after the final whistle of the World Cup matters more than the tournament itself. This episode explores themes of youth development, community access, coaching and and mentorship. You can pre-order Scott’s forthcoming book, Better Good, here: https://www.bettergoodbook.com/ [https://www.bettergoodbook.com/] Guest: Ed-Foster-Simeon Host: Scott M. Curran Executive Producers: Aaron Shulman & Kieron Banerji Production by Echo Studios Check out our Podcast: ➡️ https://www.linktr.ee/scottmcurran/ [https://www.linktr.ee/scottmcurran/] CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Introduction * 00:04:28 Early Memories of Doing Good * 00:10:01 From Journalism to Soccer * 00:14:41 Taking the Leap to US Soccer Foundation * 00:16:33 Redefining the Mission * 00:25:22 Safe Places to Play * 00:30:02 Soccer as a Vehicle for Youth Development * 00:36:05 The Power of Coaches as Mentors * 00:41:51 Just Ball and Community Ownership * 00:50:37 Transformation Stories and Community Impact * 00:54:11 Avoiding Parachuting In * 00:58:18 The Future Vision * 01:01:31 How You Can Help Better Good is a podcast series where you’ll meet the visionaries and doers tackling the toughest challenges of our time. With moving stories and practical takeaways, Scott M. Curran brings listeners into the art and science of doing good—through conversations with the social-impact leaders reshaping how we change the world. Whether you lead a global workforce, run a fast-growing nonprofit, or are simply driven to make a difference, this show offers the ideas, inspiration, and tools to leave the world better than you found it. The world's biggest problems won’t wait. Neither should you.

The Leader Who Inspired Sean Penn | Ann Lee on Better Good with Scott Curran

Disasters happen. Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, pandemics. There's little we can do about them. But what happens after the headlines fade and after the cameras leave is something we do have control over. The hardest part of a disaster isn't always the disaster itself. It's the weeks, months, and years of recovery and rebuilding that make the biggest difference. And most of the help, it turns out, doesn't help in all the ways it should. On this episode of BETTER GOOD, Scott M. Curran (https://www.scottmcurran.com/ [https://www.scottmcurran.com/]) is joined by Ann Lee, co-founder and CEO of CORE, for a conversation about disaster recovery, humanitarian response, and what it actually takes to rebuild communities the right way. CORE began in the rubble of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, when Ann met co-founder Sean Penn and built a new model for crisis response rooted in local leadership, demand-driven relief, and long-term commitment. Ann traces her path from surviving domestic violence as a child in Los Angeles, to witnessing 9/11 in New York, to clearing rubble in Port-au-Prince with heavy equipment days after the earthquake. She explains how CORE scaled from a single displacement camp in Haiti to operating on five continents—responding to hurricanes, the war in Ukraine, COVID-19, and the 2025 Los Angeles fires—and why the organizations that parachute in with outside solutions often do more harm than good. This episode explores themes of disaster recovery, community-first development, humanitarian leadership, and climate resilience. You can pre-order Scott’s forthcoming book, Better Good, here: https://www.bettergoodbook.com/ [https://www.bettergoodbook.com/] Guest: Ann Lee Host: Scott M. Curran Executive Producers: Aaron Shulman & Kieron Banerji Production by Echo Studios -  Check out our Podcast: ➡️ https://www.linktr.ee/scottmcurran [https://www.linktr.ee/scottmcurran] -  [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtMFBX4d6y8] CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Introduction * 00:03:09 Early Memories of Doing Good * 00:07:49 From 9/11 to Foreign Service Dreams * 00:10:25 Living in Haiti Before the Earthquake * 00:12:22 The Haiti Earthquake and Early Response * 00:19:17 Meeting Sean Penn and Founding Core * 00:29:31 The Core Model and Relief to Recovery * 00:34:13 COVID-19 and Scaling Health Response * 00:45:22 Community-First Approach and Local Empowerment * 00:53:49 The Future of Humanitarian Work -  Better Good is a podcast series where you’ll meet the visionaries and doers tackling the toughest challenges of our time. With moving stories and practical takeaways, Scott M. Curran brings listeners into the art and science of doing good—through conversations with the social-impact leaders reshaping how we change the world. Whether you lead a global workforce, run a fast-growing nonprofit, or are simply driven to make a difference, this show offers the ideas, inspiration, and tools to leave the world better than you found it. The world's biggest problems won’t wait. Neither should you.

Kiva CEO Vishal Ghotge on Closing the Opportunity Gap

There are at least 1.4 billion people on this planet with no connection to the financial system, and no way to turn a good idea into a livelihood. Not because they lack talent, drive, or ambition, but because the system simply wasn't built to include them. This massive divide between talent and opportunity is what today's guest is building a bridge across. On this episode of BETTER GOOD, Scott M. Curran (https://www.scottmcurran.com/ [https://www.scottmcurran.com/]) is joined by Vishal Ghotge, CEO of Kiva, for a conversation about financial inclusion, microfinance, and what happens when you bet on people the traditional banking system ignores. Kiva has delivered nearly $2.5 billion in loans to over 5 million entrepreneurs in 80 countries, often just $25 at a time,  with a 96% repayment rate. Vishal explains how the platform connects everyday lenders with women entrepreneurs, refugees, small business owners in the US, and communities on the front lines of climate change. He traces his own path from Mumbai to Silicon Valley to leading one of the most innovative organizations in global development, and makes a powerful case that talent is universal but opportunity is not. And that closing that gap is one of the most important investments any of us can make. This episode explores themes of financial inclusion, women's empowerment, and refugee entrepreneurship. You can pre-order Scott’s forthcoming book, Better Good, here: https://www.bettergoodbook.com/ Guest: Vishal Ghotge Host: Scott M. Curran Executive Producers: Aaron Shulman & Kieron Banerji Production by Echo Studios Check out our Podcast: ➡️ https://www.linktr.ee/scottmcurran -  [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtMFBX4d6y8] CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Introduction * 00:04:22 Early Memories of Doing Good * 00:06:16 Growing Up with Inequality in Mumbai * 00:08:32 From Mumbai to Microsoft * 00:10:49 Groupon and Helping the Little Guy * 00:15:31 PayScale, Remitly, and Finding Personal Connection * 00:18:49 The Kiva Model and Financial Inclusion * 00:27:29 The Power of Transparency and Connection * 00:32:02 Four Strategic Verticals: Refugees, Women, Climate, and US * 00:44:30 Stories of Dignity and Transformation * 00:48:08 Hope in Humanity and Career Advice * 00:55:59 Take Action and What's Next at Kiva -  Better Good is a podcast series where you’ll meet the visionaries and doers tackling the toughest challenges of our time. With moving stories and practical takeaways, Scott M. Curran brings listeners into the art and science of doing good—through conversations with the social-impact leaders reshaping how we change the world. Whether you lead a global workforce, run a fast-growing nonprofit, or are simply driven to make a difference, this show offers the ideas, inspiration, and tools to leave the world better than you found it. The world's biggest problems won’t wait. Neither should you.

Penny Abeywardena on What Real Power Looks Like

Most people think power always looks the same—loud, demanding, aggressive, and increasingly in your face. But actually, not always. Penny Abeywardena has spent her life mastering another kind of power: soft power. Something we can all use to help change the world if we become more familiar with it, and better at using it in our lives and in our work. On this episode of BETTER GOOD, Scott M. Curran (https://www.scottmcurran.com/ [https://www.scottmcurran.com/]) is joined by Penny Abeywardena—former Commissioner for International Affairs for New York City, Clinton Foundation leader, and founder of Soft Power Strategies—for a conversation about influence, leadership, and how to create change when you don't have the title, the budget, or the permission to demand it. Penny traces her path from surviving domestic violence as a child in Los Angeles to becoming effectively the Secretary of State for the most diplomatically complex city in the world. She explains how she built a coalition of 350 local governments around the sustainable development goals when Washington walked away from the climate table, and how she secured half a million pieces of PPE directly from the UN's own stockpile when New York was told it was on its own during COVID. She makes the case that in a moment when too many people are choosing to check out, soft power is more urgent than ever. This episode explores themes of soft power, leadership, diplomacy, women's empowerment, and vulnerability. Guest: Penny Abeywardena Host: Scott M. Curran Executive Producers: Aaron Shulman & Kieron Banerji Production by Echo Studios -  Check out our Podcast: ➡️ https://linktr.ee/scottmcurran [https://www.scottmcurran.com/] -  [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtMFBX4d6y8] CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Introduction * 00:05:26 Early Memories of Doing Good * 00:07:35 From Human Rights Watch to Finding Her Path * 00:10:00 Building Skills Behind the Scenes * 00:12:43 Joining the Clinton Global Initiative * 00:14:44 Becoming NYC Commissioner for International Affairs * 00:19:20 Reimagining Diplomacy in New York City * 00:22:18 The Voluntary Local Review and Climate Leadership * 00:25:41 COVID Crisis and the Power of Relationships * 00:29:53 Launching Soft Power Strategies * 00:37:01 Storytelling and Vulnerability as Strategy * 00:44:13 Practical Soft Power for Everyone -  Better Good is a podcast series where you’ll meet the visionaries and doers tackling the toughest challenges of our time. With moving stories and practical takeaways, Scott M. Curran brings listeners into the art and science of doing good—through conversations with the social-impact leaders reshaping how we change the world. Whether you lead a global workforce, run a fast-growing nonprofit, or are simply driven to make a difference, this show offers the ideas, inspiration, and tools to leave the world better than you found it. The world's biggest problems won’t wait. Neither should you.

Alex Amouyel on Changing the World with Salad Dressing

What if a bottle of salad dressing could change the world? In 1982, Paul Newman—movie star, race car driver, and American icon—bottled a homemade salad dressing with a friend, put his face on the label, and made one simple decision: every cent of profit would go to charity. Forever. Newman's Own has now generated more than 600 million dollars for charitable causes—and the "Newman's Own exception," an act of Congress that followed, made it possible for other foundations to fully own mission-driven businesses that give their profits away. On this episode of BETTER GOOD, Scott M. Curran (https://www.scottmcurran.com/ [https://www.scottmcurran.com/]) is joined by Alex Amouyel (https://www.yourimpactlife.com/about), President and CEO of the Newman's Own Foundation, for a conversation about purpose-driven business, child hunger in America, and one of the most revolutionary models in philanthropy. Alex explains how a for-profit food company fully owned by a charitable foundation gives 100% of its profits away—and why Newman had to fight Congress just to make it legal. She unpacks the foundation's work on child nutrition, school meals, and indigenous food justice at a time when one in five American children live in food-insecure households. And she introduces 100% for Purpose, a movement inspired by Newman's Own and Patagonia to help the next generation of businesses put their profits toward good causes. This episode explores themes of philanthropy, corporate responsibility, and food justice. Guest: Alex Amouyel Host: Scott M. Curran Executive Producers: Aaron Shulman & Kieron Banerji Production by Echo Studios - CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Introduction * 00:04:06 Early Memories of Doing Good * 00:05:30 From BCG to Save the Children * 00:08:02 Restructuring a Global NGO * 00:10:15 The Clinton Global Initiative Years * 00:12:17 MIT Solve and Opening Innovation * 00:22:09 Paul Newman's Legacy and the Hole in the Wall Gang * 00:26:32 Nourishing Children Who Face Adversity * 00:28:08 The Newman's Own Exception and Tax Law * 00:36:59 100% For Purpose Movement - Better Good is a podcast series where you’ll meet the visionaries and doers tackling the toughest challenges of our time. With moving stories and practical takeaways, Scott M. Curran brings listeners into the art and science of doing good—through conversations with the social-impact leaders reshaping how we change the world. Whether you lead a global workforce, run a fast-growing nonprofit, or are simply driven to make a difference, this show offers the ideas, inspiration, and tools to leave the world better than you found it. The world's biggest problems won’t wait. Neither should you.