The Nick Halaris Show

Up this week is an important new episode for the Nick Halaris Show featuring Mats Lederhausen, a Co-Founder and the CEO of Andas, an investment firm dedicated to inspiring human progress.  Mats is an incredibly accomplished business leader with a diverse background that includes everything from being the CEO for the McDonald’s Sweden franchise, to serving as the Global Head of Strategy for McDonald’s Corporation, to being the Lead Director and Chairman at Chipotle.  Along the way, he has become one of the world’s most prominent champions for inspirational capitalism, espousing ideas that are the core of the Profit+ philosophy—that business can and should be a force for good and that it takes both profit and purpose to foster lasting success.     Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform. Connect with Nick Halaris: Nick Halaris website and newletter (sign up!) Nick Halaris on Instagram Nick Halaris on linkedin Nick Halaris on Twitter

In this conversation, Yasmina Zaidman, Chief of Development and Partnerships at Acumen, discusses the evolving landscape of development and partnerships in light of recent government changes. She emphasizes the importance of local ecosystems, market-based solutions, and the role of corporations in social responsibility. The discussion also highlights innovative approaches to energy access and health, the significance of blended capital for entrepreneurs, and the shifting mindset in impact investing. Yasmina calls for intentional cultivation of hope and engagement from individuals and corporations alike to address global challenges effectively. I always say that the best thing about having a podcast is the incredible people you get to meet along the way. Among a really impressive crowd of Nick Halaris Show guests, Yasmina is someone who stands out. Every single time I engage with her I walk away feeling inspired, reenergized, and motivated to continue the fight. Business really can be a force for good in the world and people like Yasmina and her colleagues at Acumen are proof positive. Tune in to this important episode to learn: - Why a focus on strengthening local ecosystems is even more important for sustainable development in the post-USAID world - How and why emerging economies are seeking more accountability in solving their own problems - Why flexible capital is so crucial to impact investing success -  What corporations can do to fill the gaps left by the withdrawal of government sources & Much, much more Acumen, development, partnerships, USAID, social impact, entrepreneurship, climate change, corporate responsibility, energy access, blended capital Connect with Nick Halaris: Nick Halaris website and newletter (sign up!) Nick Halaris on Instagram Nick Halaris on linkedin Nick Halaris on Twitter

Up this week is a fascinating new episode for the Nick Halaris Show featuring thought leader Simon Bowen.  Simon is the creator of the Models Method and the Founder of a unique business and leadership consultancy. Simon and I connected through the burgeoning online world of creators and thought leaders focused on making a positive difference in the world.  We realized right away that we were on a similar path and decided to collaborate.  Simon stands out for his commitment to deep thinking and his incredible talent with visual models.  I encourage you all to watch this episode on YouTube to see Simon do his thing.  In our conversation he live-creates several compelling visual models.         Watch on YouTube to view the visuals. Tune in to this fascinating episode to learn: Why Simon believes visual models are so effective at driving organizational performance How Simon uses visual models to help companies identify and communicate their unique genius and achieve superior results Why Simon believes so strongly in the idea of business as a force for good How a business can position itself as a pillar of the community by learning to balance profit, purpose, people and planet Why our system is fundamentally biased towards short-term gain and how that impacts C-suite leaders around the globe  & Much, much more Stay tuned to the end to hear why Simon is on a quest to discover the universal motivations of humanity and why this is so important for the future of business.  You’ll also learn how growing up in and navigating Western Australia provided the fertile training ground for his genius with visual models. As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!       Connect with Nick Halaris: Nick Halaris website and newletter (sign up!) Nick Halaris on Instagram Nick Halaris on linkedin Nick Halaris on Twitter

I wanted to have Dan on the show to learn more about the inner workings of the mysterious private tutor world.  When I was coming up, private tutors were hardly a thing; now, they can be a difference maker.  Access to elite educational opportunities is a key line of division in our fracturing society and, while in education we tend to look for systemic solutions, what’s going on with private tutors suggests that individual intervention may be where we want to focus.   Tune in to this fascinating conversation to learn: Why parents around the world are willing to pay people like Dan upwards of $2000 per hour to help their kids do better on standardized tests What close reading is and why it’s the secret to standardized test success  Just what is being measured by standardized tests, and why should we care about it Why, despite their issues and limitations, many schools are turning back to standardized test scores to help sort candidates How the best schools in the world are designed to create lifelong learners rather than for information/curriculum delivery And Much, much more Connect with Nick Halaris: Nick Halaris website and newletter (sign up!) Nick Halaris on Instagram Nick Halaris on linkedin Nick Halaris on Twitter

We are featuring my longtime friend Mack Jenkins, a public-minded lawyer and former US Attorney.  As a prosecutor, Mack was responsible for some of the highest-profile and most consequential convictions in modern LA history, including those against multiple elected officials.  Mack is now a partner at Hecker Fink, a leading law firm with a strong public interest bent and a staunch commitment to justice.  Tune in to this inspiring conversation to learn: The crucial role that attorneys can play in shaping the public policy landscape Why the criminal justice reform movement is not dead and just needs a different focus Why public corruption is such a big problem in American politics, and how important it is to hold these individuals to account How public-minded law firms like Hecker Fink are tapping into the new zeitgeist and attracting a whole generation of mission-driven attorneys  Why you should never try to get out of jury duty again & Much, much more Stay tuned to the end to hear how Mack was inspired to a life of service by his father, a correctional officer in juvenile jails who went above and beyond the call of duty to be a mentor and force for good in the lives of young kids caught up in the law.  As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!     Connect with Nick Halaris: Nick Halaris website and newletter (sign up!) Nick Halaris on Instagram Nick Halaris on linkedin Nick Halaris on Twitter

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Anand Sanwal, the co-Founder of The Formidable Fellowship, a non-profit focused on sparking the next generation of young entrepreneurs, and the host of the Future Titans Podcast, a show featuring the inspiring stories of the winners of the Formidable grant.  Anand is also the co-Founder and former CEO of CB Insights, a very successful AI and data company, a writer, and working on building a national network of schools for entrepreneurship (more on this in a future episode!). Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform. I wanted to have Anand on the show to learn more about the mission of The Formidable Fellowship and to explore this thinking on the future of education.  Entrepreneurship is something I’ve been writing a lot about here in Profit+ and near and dear to my heart.  Until coming across Anand, though, I never realized how important a role it could play in redefining (fixing) our broken education system.  As you’ll see in the episode, Anand is an incredibly thoughtful and impressive individual and has some great ideas about entrepreneurship, education, and how we can best help young people prepare for an increasingly uncertain future.  I walked away from this discussion on fire with ideas and inspiration and I think you will too. As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!       Connect with Nick Halaris: Nick Halaris website and newletter (sign up!) Nick Halaris on Instagram Nick Halaris on linkedin Nick Halaris on Twitter

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Ben Kuethe Oaks, the Vice President and General Manager of Divert, an impact technology company on a mission to protect the value of food.  We waste a staggering amount of food here in America—something like 40% of everything we produce.  Meanwhile, there are over 40M food insecure households in America alone and millions more around the world.  Something is not right here!   Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTubeor on your favorite podcast platform. I wanted to have Ben on the show to learn more about Divert’s inspiring mission and business and to try to understand just how our food economy evolved to such an inefficient situation.  Divert—a company building sustainable business models that prevent waste, provide more for the food insecure, and use food waste as a sustainable fuel—is an inspiring example of the power of using business as a force for good. Tune in to this important episode to learn:   What “circular economy” mean and how Divert is using circular principles to create a whole new kind of capitalistic enterprise How we waste such a staggering amount of food in this country and why it’s such a huge problem (i.e. food insecurity, rapidly shrinking landfill capacity, methane emissions, and farming economics) What Divert is doing to try to ameliorate the situation and why they are so optimistic they can make a big difference &  Much, much more Stay tuned to the end to learn how a usual childhood interest in dairy farming led Ben to his path as a mission-driven business leader focused on the food economy.  If you are interested in learning more about the history behind the evolution of this crazy food wastage situation, check out Ben’s Tedx talk. Thank you for tuning in! Connect with Nick Halaris: Nick Halaris website and newletter (sign up!) Nick Halaris on Instagram Nick Halaris on linkedin Nick Halaris on Twitter

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Mitchell Hora, the founder and CEO of Continuum Ag, a company helping farmers better understand their carbon footprint, implement regenerative agriculture practices, and take advantage of exciting new government credit programs. Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTubeor on your favorite podcast platform. I wanted to have Mitchell on the show to learn more about farming and the agriculture industry.  Unless there is an egg shortage or massively higher prices at the grocery store, you don’t hear much about farming in the news these days.  But it’s a critical industry where a lot of things are in flux in light of climate change and rapidly advancing technology.  Mitchell, a 7th generation corn farmer and tech entrepreneur, is the perfect person to help us explore this fascinating world. Stay tuned to the end to learn what Mitchell thinks about GMOs, the organic movement, and the proper role of government in farming and the food supply chain.  You’ll also learn why Mitchell believes promoting healthy soil is the single most important issue in global agriculture.   As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!       Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you Connect with Nick Halaris: Nick Halaris website and newletter (sign up!) Nick Halaris on Instagram Nick Halaris on linkedin Nick Halaris on Twitter

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are welcoming back Darius Dale, the founder and CEO of 42 Macro, a leading Macro Risk Management serving investors around the world!  Check out his first episode here for a master class introduction to the art of macro risk management in investing.   Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform. I wanted to have Darius on the show for a deep dive discussion on President Trump’s highly anticipated Department of Governmental Efficiency initiative.  While there’s been a lot of hype and hyperbole around DOGE and its massive $2T target, Darius and his team at 42 Macro have actually sat down and done some real analysis.  Of course, things are not as simple as advertised!  As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!       Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you Connect with Nick Halaris: Nick Halaris website and newletter (sign up!) Nick Halaris on Instagram Nick Halaris on linkedin Nick Halaris on Twitter

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Melissa Walker, the Head of the Giving Circles Program at the States Project, an organization focused on leveraging the consistently overlooked and massively underestimated power possessed by State legislatures in our system.  On top of being a passionate civic activist, Melissa is a popular author of teen novels and an accomplished magazine contributor. Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTubeor on your favorite podcast platform. I wanted to have Melissa on the show to learn more about the States Project and the role they are trying to play in improving our American democracy.  In this day and age, when hardly a citizen can even name their state representatives let alone know what policies they stand for, Melissa and her colleagues at the States Project are smart to focus here.  While the big-money players have all but captured the national scene, State legislature elections are as accessible as they are impactful.  The American Constitution grants vast power to the states and state-level laws are often much more impactful to citizens’ daily lives than Federal laws.     Tune in to this inspiring episode to learn:   Stay tuned to the end to learn why Melissa set aside her thriving career as an author to work on the States Project full-time and why she believes this work is the most powerful thing she can do today.   As always, I hope you enjoy this episode.  Please like and follow The Nick Halaris Show. Thanks for tuning in!     Connect with Nick Halaris: Nick Halaris website and newletter (sign up!) Nick Halaris on Instagram Nick Halaris on linkedin Nick Halaris on Twitter

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Poppy MacDonald, the President of USAFacts, a non-profit dedicated to empowering the American people with accessible data.  USAFacts publishes a must-read weekly newsletter with over 370K subscribers and has become an important rational, non-partisan voice in our over-polarized political world.  Its “Just the Facts” video series has over 40M views and its detailed reports are educating American citizens, political leaders, and policymakers alike on the truth about America.   Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform. I wanted to have Poppy on the show to learn more about USAFacts, highlight the incredibly important work they are doing to improve democracy in America, and explore how she got involved and so committed to this mission.    Learn:   How USAFacts manages to navigate over 90K government entities to produce accessible, coherent, and often beautifully organized data on the state of America and the effectiveness of our policies Why American citizens should start thinking of themselves as shareholders of the government Why the USAFacts Government 10-k and its America in Facts Report are must-reads for all concerned citizens   How a noble mission to reduce poverty in America led Steve Ballmer in the unexpected direction of focusing on making data more accessible to the American people  What Poppy thinks of the proposal to reduce the deficit via efficiency improvements Poppy’s fascinating and transformative experiences studying abroad in Nepal and how what she learned there about community motivates her passionate civic work today. Thanks for tuning in!       Connect with Nick Halaris: Nick Halaris website and newletter (sign up!) Nick Halaris on Instagram Nick Halaris on linkedin Nick Halaris on Twitter

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Frank Rohde, the Founder and CEO of Ownify, a company creating a new path to ownership by partnering aspiring first time homebuyers with socially conscious investors.  Frank is a serial entrepreneur with a long track record of success and someone who deeply understands the financial, social, and political barriers standing in the way of widespread, affordable homeownership.     Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTubeor on your favorite podcast platform. I wanted to have Frank on the show to learn more about Ownify and its unique approach to solving the homebuying affordability problem.  Housing has become such a big deal in America, both for our economy and our democracy, and we need individuals like Frank and companies like Ownify, to help reverse the negative trend.   Tune in to this inspiring episode to learn:   How Ownify’s all-equity financial structure enables people to buy a home with just a 2% down payment Why Frank and his colleagues at Ownify believe the all-equity approach is both fairer and better than other debt-based models How dynamics in the mortgage industry have contributed to the worsening housing affordability crisis All the ways that rising homeownership rates can improve a local community & Much, much more Stay tuned to the end to learn why, after stumbling across some concerning mortgage data in his last company, Frank decided to go all-in on the fight to improve access for first-time homebuyers. As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!   Connect with Nick Halaris: Nick Halaris website and newletter (sign up!) Nick Halaris on Instagram Nick Halaris on linkedin Nick Halaris on Twitter

Hi Everyone and Welcome Back! This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Daniel Dorfman, the co-founder and CEO of Roots, a socially conscious real estate company dedicated to helping renters build wealth alongside investors and property owners.  Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTubeor on your favorite podcast platform. I wanted to have Daniel on the show to learn more about the Roots Investment Community, explore their innovative business model, and shine a big spotlight on all the great work they are doing.  A lot of companies want to be or claim to be socially conscious but Roots actually is!  I met Daniel and some of his colleagues at Roots a few months ago when we sold some of our Metros Capital properties to them and walked away not only thankful for an incredibly professional and drama-free transaction but also inspired to share their story.   Tune in to this important episode to learn:   How the Roots Investment Community ecosystem works to make housing more affordable and helps renters build wealth  Why Roots’ innovative “Live In It Like You Own It” model encouraging responsible renting has the potential to transform what it means to be a renter in America  How Roots discovered the secret to dramatically improving lease renewal rates and driving down operational costs Why it’s so important to focus on financial education and community engagement to improve economic equity in America  & Much, much more Stay tuned to the end to learn why Daniel and the team at Roots are so motivated to level the playing field in real estate investing and hear their bold vision to make their model accessible to a million Americans by 2028. As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!       Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Yasmina Zaidman, the Chief Development and Partnerships Officer at Acumen, a pioneer and global leader in social impact investing.  Acumen—probably the coolest, most inspiring organization I’ve ever come across—is dedicated to using the power of entrepreneurship and patient capital to solve some of our world’s most intractable issues.  Over the last several decades, they have invested $250M in over 200 companies and have materially improved the lives of an estimated 650M people all over the world.   Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform.   I wanted to have Yasmina on the show to learn more about Acumen’s inspiring work, unpack her experiences working at the forefront of this incredible movement and see what lessons we can find to improve our own mission-driven efforts.   As you’ll see in the episode, Yasmina is quite a passionate and inspiring leader and has a wealth of knowledge about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to trying to solve big issues.  Our conversation left me wanting to drop everything and join the team at Acumen.     Tune in to this inspiring episode to learn:   • Why Acumen is so focused on supporting entrepreneurship as a way to engage in philanthropy  • Why promoting agency and dignity is so important in the fight to eliminate poverty • How Acumen uncovered the secret to building entrepreneurial capacity in the most economically disadvantaged communities in the world • What patient capital is and how it can play a crucial role in the broader philanthropic and capitalist ecosystem • Why Acumen is so focused on building sustainable businesses that promote energy access, education, and sustainable agriculture  • & Much, much more   Stay tuned to the end to learn why Yasmina is calling for a new paradigm for global leadership, one that prioritizes collective needs over individual desires, and discover why she believes that the key to true and lasting success is to find ways to merge your values with your aspirations. 

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Sean Devlin, the founder of Nice News, a daily newsletter read by over 840,000 people.  Each day, Nice News offers readers a different and decidedly more optimistic window into what’s happening in our world than traditional media.  Through carefully curated stories from science, health, and culture, uplifting human interest stories, and inspiring, entertaining links, Nice News presents the positive, inspiring, and hopeful side of modern life.       Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform.   I wanted to have Sean on the show to help shine a big spotlight on Nice News and all the good it’s doing in the world.  I’ve been a reader for several months now and have come to really enjoy and appreciate the newsletter.  It is indeed nice to wake up and see all the good happening in the world.  For those who aren’t readers yet, you definitely should be!    Tune in to this important episode to learn:     • Just what “nice news” is and why it’s so important  • Why legacy media business models evolved to prioritize fear and violence instead of progress, positivity, and optimism  • How Nice News figured out how to find a steady stream of uplifting stories in a sea of negativity • Some interesting tactics for newsletter growth and monetization • & Much, much more   Stay tuned to the end to learn why Sean thinks we should all be really mindful about our content diet and how his unique upbringing prepared him perfectly for his mission with Nice News.   As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!         Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Nate Helbach, the founder and CEO of Neutral, a regenerative development company.  Neutral’s mission is to develop financially responsible, sustainable living spaces that foster healthy lifestyles and friendly neighborhoods. Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform. I wanted to have Nate on the show to learn more about Neutral and its incredibly ambitious socially conscious business strategy.  While many developers have dabbled in sustainability, few have gone all-in like Nate and his colleagues.  The real estate industry is one of the biggest contributors to climate risk, producing an estimated 40% of annual CO2 emissions, so, making progress here is essential.   Tune in to this inspiring episode to learn: How Neutral is using mass timber to dramatically improve the embodied carbon in its developments Why it’s so important for real estate developers to consider the environmental impact of on-going operations Strategies for real estate owners to consider for reducing on-going carbon emissions   Why consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainable living spaces What Neutral is doing to try to democratize real estate investing & Much, much more Stay tuned to the end to learn why Nate thinks nuclear power could play such a crucial role in decarbonization and hear how his faith inspires his passionate commitment to pursue profit and good at the same time.   As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!       Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring James Fishback, the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Azoria Partners and the Founder of Incubate Debate.  James, a rising star in the investment world, has become a passionate advocate for meritocracy and open debate.   Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform.   I wanted to have James on the show to hear his latest thinking on markets and the global economy and learn more about his mission to foster more open, constructive debate.     Tune in to this fascinating episode to learn: • How narrative volatility is driving global market returns • Why there’s been a K-shaped recover in the economy and what that means for most Americans • Why James decided to build a financial product focused on restoring meritocratic principles in American business • How a disturbing decline of openness and constructive dialogue in high school debate inspired James to start Incubate Debate • & Much, much more   Stay tuned to the end to learn just how closed and polarized high school debate has become and hear why James is so passionate about fighting to change that.   As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!         Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring prominent legal scholar and free speech expert, Eugene Volokh.  Eugene is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, the author of The Volokh Conspiracy, a widely read legal blog, and a co-host of the Free Speech Unmuted Podcast.  For thirty years, he has been a professor at the University of California – Los Angeles School of Law, where he has taught First Amendment law, copyright law, criminal law, tort law, and firearms regulation policy.   Free speech debates are all the rage today and I wanted to have Eugene on the show to lay some important groundwork for this often misunderstood topic.  Constitutional free speech law is a complicated and most commentators online, especially the loudest voices, don’t have a clue.  After decades of teaching and high-level legal scholarship, Eugene has a way of explaining very complex matters in digestible ways.    Tune in to this important episode to learn:     • What public universities can and cannot do when it comes to limiting speech • The difference between viewpoint and content-neutral restrictions • The rare instances where free speech can actually be restricted • The relationship between free speech law and state power over public school curricula  • Why free speech is so critical to democratic governance  • & Much, much more   Stay tuned to the end to learn why Eugene thinks free speech absolutism is a misnomer and to understand how free speech law applies to the public produces of social media companies.   As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!          Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you

Hi Everyone and Welcome Back! This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Dmitri Mehlhorn, the Founder and Executive Director of Oakland Corps, an organization dedicated to standing in solidarity with Oakland-born Kamala Harris.  Dmitri is a prominent Democratic donor and strategist.  Previously, he served as co-founder of Investing in US, a novel group that has deployed venture capital principles to political investing.    I wanted to have Dmitri on the show to learn more about the emerging new field of political investing and get his insider’s take on just how seriously we should take the threats to our democracy.  As you’ll see in the episode, Dmitri thinks we have a ton of reasons to be concerned but remains optimistic that the fight for freedom can be won.  Whether you agree with Dmitri or not, this a must-listen episode for understanding the true nature of big-money politics in America.   Tune in to this fascinating episode to learn: The surprising role that Dmitri played in the evolution of Profit+ and the Nick Halaris Show How it is even possible for someone to be an undecided voter in today’s polarized landscape Why the urban youth vote in 7 swing states will probably determine the outcome of the Presidential election What political investing is and how applying venture capital principles to it has made such a big difference for the Democratic party The historical origins of the urban versus rural divide and why we shouldn’t discount the notion that the tech and finance elite are actively pursuing oligarchical control/influence & Much, much more Stay tuned to the end to learn how Dmitri is finding courageous voices from unexpected places to help the Harris campaign and to hear why a famous scene from “The Dark Knight Rises”—which has already been featured once before on the podcast!—is relevant to the current political moment. As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!       Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Deb Otis, the Director of Research and Policy at FairVote, a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections in America through two key reforms: 1. Ranked choice voting and 2. Proportional representation in Congress.  Deb is a passionate and experienced civic activist and an expert on comparative electoral systems.   I wanted to have Deb on the show to learn more about FairVote’s two big ideas for reforming American elections and understand why she and her colleagues think they are so crucial for our democracy.  Whether it’s extreme voter dissatisfaction with Congress, low voter turnout in local elections, gerrymandered partisan primaries, or debates about the efficacy of the Electoral College and mail-in voting, there’s no shortage of concern about our democratic processes these days.  Fortunately, reformers like Deb and previous Nick Halaris Show guest Nick Troiano of Unite America, are stepping forward with practical reforms designed to make our elections more adequately reflect the actual will of the people.   Tune in to this important episode to learn:   How ranked-choice voting works and why it might be a better option What proportional representation is and how it could improve Congressional function by changing the incentive structures of politics Why we should also pursue both primary reform and campaign finance reform are necessary Ideas for improving voter engagement & Much, much more Stay tuned to the end to learn how an early interest in politics and experiences working on the ground in campaigns inspired Deb to commit her life to protecting and improving our democracy.   As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode.  Thanks for tuning in!       Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you