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Blue Sky

Bill Burke

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Hosted by Bill Burke, founder of The Optimism Institute, this weekly podcast will feature inspiring leaders, authors, researchers, and big thinkers who are taking on some of our world’s toughest challenges with an infectious sense of optimism. Blue Sky takes its name from the meditation reminder that there’s always blue sky above, sometimes you just have to get your head above the clouds to see it.
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Reimagining Us

Nichole Argo

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Reimagining Us is not just another conversation series—it’s a vital tool for healing divisions, designing our lives and communities for belonging, and empowering a movement of “builders.” Hosted by two distinguished leaders from the fields of psychology and equity-building, the show takes a nuanced look at the forces that fuel division and highlights actionable paths toward reconnection. As the nation navigates a post-election landscape rife with challenges, Reimagining Us offers a timely an ...
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Nichole Argo describes the work she’s doing to bring communities together by assembling people with different viewpoints around one table to discuss their challenges and formulate solutions. After great success in her hometown, she’s now pursuing similar models across the country, and she’s optimistic that combining a growing desire for belonging w…
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In honor of this year’s 4th of July celebration, host Bill Burke discusses some bits of US history through the lens of this country’s remarkable sense of optimism. He describes that despite our many setbacks and shortcomings, we remain a place of possibility and hope and encourages us all to keep working towards “a more perfect union.”…
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Over the course of his remarkable career, Harry Smith interviewed six US presidents and numerous celebrities including Julia Roberts, Cher, and Madonna. But on this Blue Sky episode Harry shares that his favorite people to cover were the ones we’ve likely never heard of, the everyday heroes that he describes as the glue of our society. Harry shares…
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Mary McManus has never had it easy. As a kindergartener, she was a victim of polio just a short time before the vaccine was introduced. She also faced trauma in her home life but somehow managed to persevere and overcome these and still more obstacles throughout her life. Today, Mary is an inspiring author, poet, motivational speaker, and finisher …
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Political division in the United States is an issue often cited as contributing to the pessimistic outlook so many of us have. Blue Sky guest Lindsey Cormack believes that our government will only improve if we begin to understand it better and get involved ourselves. As a college professor, when she found that many of her students were remarkably …
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Sam Pressler has a strong track record of bringing people together and working to rebuild the civic infrastructure of the United States. In addition to being a researcher and writer, he is also the founder of the Armed Services Art Partnership and Connective Tissue, a collection of projects designed to help people understand how they might go about…
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On the heels of the “Arts Educators Save the World” feed swap episode with Jonathan Groff and his elementary school music teacher, Linda Tough, Bill Burke reflects on the role of teachers and mentors in helping us all be optimistic. He shares his own influences and those of many Blue Sky guests, while encouraging us to think of our own and consider…
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In this very special “feed swap” edition, Blue Sky Alum Erica Halverson interviews award-winning Jonathan Groff and his inspirational elementary school music teacher, Linda Tough, on the “Arts Educators Save the World” podcast. Learn more about Erica's podcast here: https://www.artseducatorspodcast.com/ Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to the Feed Swap In t…
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Martin Gutmann is an expert on the history of business and has written extensively about styles of past leaders. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on everything from today’s political climate, to whether he thinks Ernest Shackleton is overrated (spoiler alert – he does), to the underrated excellence of less well-known figures in history. Chap…
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Blayne Smith and Brandon Young are two US Army combat veterans who came together in civilian life to start their own company. They’ve now published a new book, co-authors of Perseverance > Endurance: Lead with Resilience. Grow Through Adversity. Win Together., in which they describe invaluable lessons that they’ve learned from their training, the b…
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This episode explores the work of Echoing Green, an international non-profit that invests in social entrepreneurs and their dreams and ideas. An accomplished leader and executive herself, Cheryl Dorsey explains how she first came to the organization and the great work they continue to do under her leadership. Chapters: 02:22 Meet Cheryl Dorsey Cher…
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David McCullough got the idea for The American Exchange Project (AEP) after a cross-country trip showed him how diverse and accepting were the people he met. Today, AEP creates opportunities for recent high school graduates to experience life in a different part of the US, building bridges of understanding and creating lifelong friendships. It’s Mc…
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While studying acting in college, Erica Halverson decided that while she loved the theater, being on stage would not be for her. Instead, she moved into different areas and now is teaching arts education at the University of Wisconsin. She also hosts a terrific podcast, "Arts Educators Save the World,” on which artists are joined by teachers and me…
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When Earl B. Hunter’s son was seven years old, he took him on three-month, multi-state camping. It was a positive, life-changing experience for them both. But Earl was struck by the fact that over the entire trip, they saw just one other black family. As someone who was working in sales in the outdoor industry, Earl saw an opportunity and went on t…
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Sal Khan is one of the great innovators in education and in this Blue Sky episode, he discusses his book, Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That’s a Good Thing). He and his colleagues at Khan Academy are well on their way to creating powerful AI teaching assistant called Khanmigo. At a time when many fear the onset of AI…
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Leslie and Richard Strauss are a husband-and-wife team who oversee Spirit Series, an innovative educational program in which young students perform plays about timeless stories. Through Spirit Series’ immersive and rigorous process, participants gain confidence in themselves and improve their teamwork, higher order thinking and focus in the classro…
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Business school professor and author Amy Edmondson shares her views on how we can make our workplace more productive, enriching, and positive for everyone. By creating an environment with “psychological safety,” Amy says that organizations allow people to do their best work by not fearing to make the “right kinds” of mistakes and/or speaking up whe…
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On this installment of “A Bit of Blue Sky,” host Bill Burke describes five books he recommends that will help listeners be more optimistic (and hopefully, fulfill their New Year’s resolution to do so)! Blue Sky Bookshelf: Link Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to A Bit of Blue Sky Host Bill Burke introduces the podcast and its mission to inspire optimism thr…
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In this episode, Nichole and Scott explore how philanthropy is getting behind work to connect and collaborate across differences at the local level with Kristen Scott Kennedy of the Council on Foundations. They then highlight a scalable example of this work: The Needham Resilience Network (NRN) brings town officials, diverse residents, and key stak…
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Neal Foard is an accomplished marketing expert and storyteller. On this episode, Neal describes why, after helping build household name global brands like Budweiser, Lexus, and Sony, he has turned his attention to telling and teaching stories. He’s inspired by what he describes as the kindness of everyday people and shares personal anecdotes and st…
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In this Blue Sky episode, Zach Karabell describes how the roots of his optimistic worldview come from his deep understanding of history and the important societal trends that continue to move in a positive direction. This conversation covers a lot of ground, including how Zachary views President Trump and the “chaos” and “hysteria” he expects will …
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In this episode, Nichole and Scott talk about how individual and group efforts to revitalize connection in communities are necessary---but may not be sufficient for sustained change. Once we have the mindset and skills of pluralism, we need spaces and institutions that enable us to practice them. We need local governments and community stakeholders…
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Daniel Pink joins Blue Sky for a lively and wide-ranging discussion. He describes the importance of what he sees as a personal portfolio that includes a predominance of optimism that’s balanced by a healthy and helpful dose of pessimism. He also forceful debunks “the cynical genius illusion,” which leads to an undue bias towards those with cynical,…
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Imagine that four experts on bridging divides came together to advise you on how to handle your next challenging conversation…Voila! Meet the “Be The Change” tool chest! On this episode of Reimagining Us, hosts Nichole Argo and Scott Hutcheson ask questions such as: What strategies can I use to build my curiosity muscle? How do I prepare for a conv…
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Chloe Valdary shares her unique way of thinking about – and training others – in the field of diversity and difference. She describes her fascination with human beings in all our complexity and resists and rejects our tendencies to put everyone into the limiting categories of “oppressors or oppressed.” Her thoughtful insights will make you think an…
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In Part I, Nichole and Scott invite three top thought leaders to share foundational insights that can help listeners connect across differences. Curiosity is a bridge to connection, an essential tool allowing us to explore the stories, values, and perspectives of others, says Scott Shigeoka, author of SEEK. It strengthens personal, work and civic r…
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Bill Burke hosts this first-ever installment of “A Bit of Blue Sky.” In this shorter episode, Bill explains that on the first Wednesday of every month, The Optimism Institute will release a shorter episode with information about the podcast, reflections on past episodes, and hints about new shows in the queue. This month, to kick of 2025, Bill chal…
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In this episode, Nichole and Scott are joined by john a. powell, who leads them in an exploration of belonging while contrasting it with the damaging effects of othering. By understanding and addressing the dynamics of belonging and othering, communities can create spaces where everyone thrives. Belonging is a fundamental human need that reflects f…
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This is an encore presentation of the 50th episode of Blue Sky, when Bill was joined by someone who has completed more than 400 of them. Bestselling author and TV/podcast host Kelly Corrigan describes to Bill the many things she’s learned in her life and career about optimism and how we all can benefit from life’s setbacks to become better people a…
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In this episode, Nichole and Scott begin with a startling figure from Amanda Ripley’s book, Unthinkable: 90 percent of counties in the U. S. were declared federal disaster zones over a 10 year period from 2011 to 2021. These disasters, which largely represented extreme weather, are here to stay – how can our local communities become resilient? Inte…
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Don Carpenter has spent the bulk of his career working on youth development. Today he’s executive director of the Rural Futures Fund, an organization focused on kids in rural settings, working to help them close what he calls the “aspirations gap,” between them and their peers in more affluent settings. Chapters: 01:11 Meet Don Carpenter Bill intro…
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In this episode of Reimagining Us, co-hosts Nichole Argo and Scott Hutcheson delve deeper into the pervasive dynamics of toxic polarization, exploring how societal divisions manifest as "us versus them" thinking in our own lives and communities, and how awareness and intentionality enables us to counter it. They are joined by Dr. Peter Coleman, aut…
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When Olivia Clarke was first diagnosed with cancer and began treatment, she looked for ways to keep her spirits up as the grueling treatments and symptoms became increasingly difficult. Gradually, she noticed moments – in waiting rooms, treatment areas, with strangers – that, when looked at with a certain lens, could be seen as downright funny. Thi…
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On this episode of Reimagining Us, co hosts Nichole Argo and Scott Hutcheson have a conversation with Daniel Stid focused on toxic polarization and the importance of pluralism in countering it. In contrast to ideological polarization, where people disagree with each other but can still work together, toxic polarization refers to when people dislike…
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November is Gratitude Month at the Optimism Institute and this episode wraps up our celebration while kicking off Thanksgiving weekend. Blue Sky host and founder of The Optimism Institute Bill Burke shares his thoughts on the tight link between gratitude and optimism and has selected excerpts from past episodes to drive this point home. Blue Sky al…
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On the debut episode of Reimagining Us, Nichole and Scott share their personal stories, explain how they came together to cohost the show and relay their vision and the purpose for the series answering the question: 'Why this podcast, now?' Reimagining Us is not just another conversation series—it’s a vital tool for healing divisions, designing our…
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Reimagining Us is a podcast series that "lifts the hood" to uncover what's behind our feelings of division today, identify how we can rebuild connection and collaboration across differences in communities. The show is hosted by behavioral scientist Nichole Argo, the Founder and Executive Director of the TogetherUp Institute & Scott Hutcheson, Execu…
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Kevin Adler grew up with a beloved uncle, Mark, who never forgot to send him a Hallmark card on his birthday. Over time, Kevin learned that his uncle was unhoused and suffering from schizophrenia. When Mark died at the age of 50, Kevin decided that working to solve the crisis of homelessness would be his life’s work. The experience of having a clos…
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In a culture that celebrates competence and achievement, we often label people struggling to get things done as “lazy,” “disorganized,” or “irresponsible.” But through her training and practice as a speech-language pathologist, Sucheta Kamath developed a passion for identifying people who struggle with executive function skills and has designed inn…
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Melissa Connelly had a rocky start to her high school career, being placed in her school’s truancy program after missing sixty days of classes in 8th grade. Fortunately, Melissa found her guidance counselor, Mrs. Jeter, who changed her life. With her help, Melissa turned her academic career around and through determined optimism, managed to earn co…
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Jamie Metzl is one of the world’s leading authorities on the implications of the intersecting AI, genetics, and biotechnology revolutions and how governments, corporations, organizations, and individuals can ride the wave of these unprecedented transformations to build their best possible futures. In this Blue Sky episode, he talks about the optimi…
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This is a special encore presentation of the very first episode of Blue Sky! This conversation with David Gardner first aired in March of 2023 and is still one of our favorites. David Gardner discusses a wide range of topics, from the relationship between optimism and entrepreneurship to developing an investment strategy with an eye towards your ow…
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Today, Lee Ellis is an acclaimed and accomplished author and leadership coach. But in 1967, while flying a combat mission over North Vietnam, he was shot down, captured, and held as a prisoner of war for five-and-a-half years at the “Hanoi Hilton,” where his group of fellow prisoners included the late Senator John McCain. and on this Blue Sky episo…
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Theodore (Ted) R. Johnson served twenty years in the United States Navy before becoming a columnist and author. His latest book, If We Are Brave is a collection of essays on race in America, and in this Blue Sky conversation, Ted describes his pragmatic optimism and belief that the United States has in its founding ideals the path towards forming a…
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Lee Woodruff and her husband Bob were, in many ways, on top of the world. She was with her children at Walt Disney World while Bob was overseas in one of his first news gathering assignments after being named a co-anchor of ABC World News Tonight. Everything changed in an instant when the vehicle Bob was traveling in hit a roadside bomb and he sust…
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This is a special encore edition of an episode which first aired in March of 2023. In the time since then, our guest has added yet another best-selling book to his list of titles, “How Leaders Learn.” David Novak has had a remarkably successful career and one that was defined by his boundless enthusiasm and contagious sense of optimism. He describe…
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Known in the science community primarily for her work as a geneticists and epidemiologist with a focus on oncology, Immaculata De Vivo seems like an unlikely person to co-Author a book called, “The Biology of Kindness.” But the more she understood the role that behavior played in our wellbeing and that it can even have an impact on our DNA structur…
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The husband and wife team of Mary Louise and Bruce Cohen have impressive backgrounds in law and government and for the past ten years, they’ve used their skills to advance the cause of skilled refugees around the world. The organization they co-founded, Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB), identifies refugees with marketable skills and places them in a …
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