In this first episode of Shared Ground (www.shared-ground.com), Allan sits down with Sean and Nina to explore the roots of the project and the personal stories that brought it to life.

Together, we talk through the fires that changed everything for Sean and Nina's family—what it felt like, what was lost, and why those experiences pushed Sean to co-create this podcast.

This isn’t just a recounting of disaster. It’s a conversation about community, resilience, and the urgency of making meaning from what we’ve lived through. It’s the foundation of where we’re headed, starting from an unprecedented event in LA and taking us through the kindness and generosity encountered in the months following the events.

In all these episodes we'll talk through how individuals can prepare to grapple with high pressure situations, ideally finding ways to support themselves and from their their communities.

Shared Ground is produced by Sean Knierim and Allan Marks. Thanks to Cory Grabow, Kara Poltor, Corey Walles (from The Recording Studio) for your support in launching this effort.

For more stories of resilience & rebuilding, kindness & generosity: visit shared-ground.com and subscribe to Sean's substack. We invite you to share your own stories of resilience at the Shared Ground website - whether in response to the January fires in LA or other situations.

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