The PM Podcast

Hosted by DonorSearch

BusinessInterviews guests

Website RSS feed LinkedIn Facebook Instagram YouTube

Episodes

100

Latest episode

Nov 2026

Language

About the show

Untold stories. Real impact. The PM Podcast features raw, personal conversations with changemakers reshaping our world—from nonprofit leaders to grassroots heroes. Hear stories of tragedy and triumph, grief and grace, love and laughter. Whether you lead a mission-driven organization or just care deeply about your community, you’ll find inspiration in every episode. Hosted by Jay Frost. Produced by Jack Frost. Powered by DonorSearch.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

November 7, 2026Episode 16346 min

"To Tackle the System Problem": A Conversation with Darrow Zeidenstein, Chief Development Officer of the American Cancer Society

Darrow Zeidenstein began his career as an anthropologist, studying the cultures and conflicts of the Middle East as a Fulbright Scholar in Syria and a researcher in Morocco. But his search to understand people eventually led him in an unexpected direction: fundraising. Over the past three decades, Darrow has held senior leadership positions at some of America's leading universities and healthcare institutions, including serving as Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations at Rice University and Senior Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he led the institution's $2.5 billion fundraising campaign and helped grow annual philanthropic revenue from $153 million to more than half a billion dollars. Today, Darrow is Chief Development Officer of the American Cancer Society, where he's working to restore annual fundraising to more than a billion dollars and tackle cancer on every front, from research and treatment to healthcare access, public policy, and the financial burdens faced by patients. In this conversation, Darrow reflects on the experiences that shaped him, the art and science of philanthropy, the challenges of leading people through change, and his desire to use the final chapter of his career to make a difference.

October 31, 2026Episode 16252 min

"A Force for Good": A Conversation with Kara Logan Berlin, Founder and CEO of Harvest

Kara Logan Berlin is the founder and CEO of Harvest, a consultancy that helps nonprofits raise more money, develop talent, and expand their impact. Kara grew up on a farm in eastern Oregon, dreamed of becoming a broadcast journalist, and found her way into fundraising through a series of unexpected turns. Since then, she's worked with organizations including Harlem RBI, the Robin Hood Foundation, and the Obama Foundation, where she helped develop the fundraising strategy for the Obama Presidential Center. She's also a TED speaker, an educator, and a passionate advocate for investing in the people who do the work of fundraising. Today, we'll talk about the unexpected paths that lead us to our life's work, the importance of finding purpose, and what it means to be a force for good.

October 23, 2026Episode 16155 min

“There's Always a Story Beneath the Surface”: A Conversation with Suzanne Ehlers, CEO of USA for UNHCR

Suzanne Ehlers is CEO and Executive Director of USA for UNHCR, the nonprofit organization mobilizing American philanthropy in support of the UN Refugee Agency and millions of people forced to flee their homes. Suzanne's journey has taken her from growing up in Texas to Cornell University, the Peace Corps in the Central African Republic, and leadership roles at Population Action International and the Malala Fund before assuming her current position. Along the way, she's developed strong convictions about the power of curiosity, compassion, and human connection — and what it takes to lead organizations tackling some of the world's most difficult challenges. We begin with how the values she learned growing up helped shape a lifetime of service and a remarkable career in international philanthropy.

October 20, 2026Episode 1601 hr 10 min

Live Well and Do Well Together: A Conversation with Jim Balfanz, CEO of City Year

Jim Balfanz is the CEO of City Year, the national nonprofit that helps students succeed in school while developing the next generation of leaders through national service. In 1993, Jim joined City Year for what he thought would be ten months of service before moving on to graduate school and a career in international affairs. More than thirty years later, he's still there, having risen from corps member to CEO. But Jim's own experiences with dyslexia, education, and the transformative power of working alongside people from different backgrounds have given him a particularly personal perspective on human potential, leadership, and the role of service in American life.

October 3, 2026Episode 1591 hr 4 min

“Your Hand Is Forever on the Stove”: A Conversation with Bridgette “Bri” Simpson, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Barred Business

Bridgette “Bri” Simpson — co-founder and executive director of Barred Business, which works to expand opportunity and legal protections for justice-impacted people. Bri studied finance and accounting and dreamed of building a financial services firm. Instead, she spent ten years incarcerated in Georgia. When she came home in 2018, she struggled to find work, experienced homelessness, and encountered barriers to employment, housing, and opportunity. Those experiences helped lead to the creation of Barred Business in 2020. Since then, its work has expanded into reentry, entrepreneurship, voting rights, civic engagement, and public policy. In 2022, Barred Business helped lead the successful campaign to add criminal-history status to Atlanta’s nondiscrimination protections — work that has since helped inspire similar efforts elsewhere. In this episode, Bri talks about incarceration, reentry, stigma, and what she calls the permanent punishments that can follow people long after a sentence ends — and how she turned those experiences into a fight for dignity, opportunity, and full participation in community life.

September 26, 2026Episode 1581 hr 21 min

“The Only Thing We Can Do Is Fight”: A Conversation with Daryl Upsall, Founder and President of Upsall International

Daryl Upsall is founder and president of Upsall International, and a nonprofit leader with more than four decades of experience working with organizations around the world. Daryl grew up in a small town in England, but from an early age wanted to see the world. He found his way into social causes through music and activism, eventually working in international development, human rights, and the HIV/AIDS crisis. At the Terrence Higgins Trust, he built the first professional HIV/AIDS fundraising program in Europe, working with Elton John, Queen, and others during some of the darkest years of the epidemic. He later joined Greenpeace International, where he helped turn around its global income, pioneered digital fundraising, and helped create the modern face-to-face model. Since 2001, through Upsall International, he has advised and recruited leaders for nonprofit organizations across the globe. In this episode, we trace Daryl’s remarkable journey through music, activism, HIV/AIDS, Greenpeace, and a lifetime spent working for causes — and explore what it has taught him about leadership, change, and making a difference.

September 19, 2026Episode 1571 hr 8 min

"What Happens When the Cameras Go Home”: A Conversation with Jennice Fuentes, Founder and CEO of BoricuActivatEd

Jennice Fuentes is founder and CEO of BoricuActivatEd, a nonprofit that helps people understand government, find their voice, and become more effective advocates for themselves and their communities. Jennice was born and raised in Puerto Rico and spent 25 years working in the U.S. House of Representatives, eventually serving as chief of staff to Congressman Luis Gutiérrez. After leaving Capitol Hill in 2013, she founded Fuentes Strategies, a government relations and consulting firm providing advice to corporations, individuals, and nonprofits with interests before Congress, federal agencies, and the European Community. Along the way, Jennice also pursued another passion — acting — building a professional career that included appearances in Law & Order, Godless, and HBO’s K Street. Then, in September 2017, Hurricane Maria changed the course of her life. As Puerto Rico’s infrastructure collapsed and Jennice worried about family on the island, she heard a reporter say, “Without Congress, we are dead.” Jennice knew Congress. She knew how it worked. And she realized she could use that knowledge to help ordinary people understand the system, navigate it, and advocate for themselves. That realization became BoricuActivatEd. In this episode, we talk about Hurricane Maria, Jennice’s years on Capitol Hill, her parallel life as an actor, and what she has learned about power, civic engagement, advocacy, and helping people recognize — and exercise — the influence they already have.

September 4, 2026Episode 15655 min

"People Are Not Made to Sleep on Concrete": A Conversation with Rowan Vansleve, President of Hope the Mission and Los Angeles Mission

Rowan Vansleve is president of Hope the Mission, Los Angeles Mission, and a longtime leader in the fight against homelessness in Southern California. Rowan grew up in Sydney, Australia, and came to the United States as a young backpacker, intending to continue around the world. But after seeing the stark contrast between the wealth of Los Angeles and the people living on its streets, he stayed — beginning a career that would take him through community development, microfinance, disaster recovery, and ultimately homeless services. In 2010, Rowan joined Hope the Mission, then a small organization with about fifteen shelter beds. Today, they provide thousands of beds each night, millions of meals each year, and operate dozens of shelters across Los Angeles and the surrounding region. Rowan has also become known for a series of extraordinary physical challenges designed to raise money and awareness for the fight against homelessness — running hundreds of miles through the desert, cycling across America, kayaking to Catalina Island, and completing fifty marathons in ninety days. In this episode, we trace Rowan’s journey from Australia to Los Angeles, explore what he has learned about poverty and homelessness, the limits of one-size-fits-all solutions, and his belief that lasting change begins with treating people with dignity, love, and respect.

August 28, 2026Episode 15543 min

Our Work Begins at No: A Conversation with Jerry White, activist, author, diplomat, social entrepreneur, and a leader in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines

Jerry White is a humanitarian activist, author, diplomat, social entrepreneur, and a leader in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. Jerry’s life changed at twenty when, while hiking in Israel, he stepped on an unmarked landmine and lost his lower right leg. He went on to co-found the Landmine Survivors Network and help lead the campaign that produced the 1997 Ottawa Treaty banning landmines. He later helped advance two more landmark international agreements: the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Jerry has since served as a senior U.S. State Department official on conflict and stabilization, as a Senior Ashoka Fellow, and as the first Professor of Practice at the University of Virginia. Today, he chairs MADE IMPACT and teaches what he calls “humane leadership” through BeSeeDo. His books include Getting Up When Life Knocks You Down, Religicide, and his latest, Be See Do: The Art of Humane Leadership. In this episode, we trace Jerry’s extraordinary journey — from surviving a landmine explosion to helping build a Nobel Peace Prize-winning movement, shaping international treaties, serving in government, and developing a practical approach to humane leadership, philanthropy, and systems change.

August 22, 2026Episode 15456 min

Happy Place: A Conversation with Stephanie Willis, Author of The Art and Science Approach to Fundraising Data and Research

Stephanie Willis is a philanthropy strategist, fundraising data and research expert, consultant, and author of The Art and Science Approach to Fundraising Data and Research. Stephanie has spent nearly 15 years helping nonprofit organizations strengthen their fundraising through better data, research, strategy, and donor engagement. Today, she is a consultant with Creative Fundraising Advisors, where she advises organizations on data audits, database strategy, prospect development, and data integrity. She also serves on the Apra Board of Directors and as president of the Apra Foundation. In this episode, we trace Stephanie’s path and the experiences that shaped how she thinks about work, resilience, and community — from the loss of her mother and the tornado that struck her town to questions about AI, data, and the future of fundraising and philanthropy — beginning with how she makes her workplace a “happy place.”