Innovating for Impact : A Conversation with Ryan Russell
Release Date: 04/16/2024
How Joyful Generosity Is Changing the Way We Give
The Better Samaritan Podcast
What if giving could be joyful instead of guilt-driven? In this episode, Jamie Goodwin, professor at Wheaton College, shares how her background in global churches, journalism, and teaching led her to a deeper view of generosity. We talk about practical ways to give—like giving circles and hybrid nonprofit models—that engage communities and reflect diverse cultures.
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The Future of Foreign Aid
The Better Samaritan Podcast
What’s on the horizon for foreign aid and humanitarian response strategies, especially in light of ongoing funding cuts to foreign aid around the world?
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NGO Strategy and Leadership: 10 Steps of Crisis Management
The Better Samaritan Podcast
Veteran humanitarian leader Roger Sandberg joins us to discuss how NGOs can lead effectively in the midst of funding cuts and uncertainty. As political shifts tighten budgets, the gap between global needs and available resources continues to widen. Roger shares practical strategies for assessing risk, strengthening communication within teams, and re-imagining sources of funding.
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Faith, Resilience, and the Realities of Humanitarian Work
The Better Samaritan Podcast
What happens when humanitarian work collides with political upheaval and shifting policies?
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How Funding Cuts Are Impacting Anti-Trafficking Efforts With Rev. Dr. Sandra Morgan
The Better Samaritan Podcast
How do federal and foreign aid cuts impact anti-trafficking work, both directly and indirectly?
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Compassion and Complexity: Evangelicals on Government and Humanitarian Aid
The Better Samaritan Podcast
What happens when churches, governments, and communities work together across differences in opinion for the common good? In this episode, Dr. Walter Kim, President of the National Association of Evangelicals, joins us to talk about how different parts of the evangelical church are responding to shifts in humanitarian aid and funding, and why these varied responses matter.
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Beyond Charity: Rev. Eugene Cho on Faith, Advocacy, and Fighting Global Hunger
The Better Samaritan Podcast
How do advocacy and policy help combat child hunger and malnutrition, both in the U.S. and around the world? In this episode, Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World, joins us to talk about what’s needed to tackle food insecurity around the world, what’s working, what’s not, and why surface-level solutions won’t cut it.
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What Happens When Foreign Aid Gets Cut? Lessons from the Front Lines
The Better Samaritan Podcast
What happens when humanitarian aid gets pulled, but the needs don’t stop? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Beth Stuebing, a missionary surgeon in Malawi with the Christian Health Service Corps. She shares what it’s like on the front lines of healthcare when funding disappears—and why faith-based organizations working on the ground can’t do it alone.
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Faith in Action: How Students Are Advocating for Global Health and Justice
The Better Samaritan Podcast
What happens when college students decide to take action on global issues?
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Inside PEPFAR: What’s at Stake and How Churches Can Engage
The Better Samaritan Podcast
This episode, we talk with Jenny Dyer, founder of the 2030 Collaborative, about her involvement raising awareness for HIV/AIDS - from working with Bono and the ONE Campaign to championing global health in Washington and beyond.
info_outlineAbout the episode:
As part of our Innovation series, Ryan Russell, Vice President of Innovation and New Products at Compassion International, joins us in unraveling the intricacies of service-oriented innovation. Together, we discuss how innovation doesn’t have to be huge to make an impact. Each step forward is rich with opportunities to learn.
Ryan talks about the passion and humility we need towards our customers, employees, and/or clients. We also explore the intersection of creativity and connection in non-profit innovation, delving into Compassion International's multifaceted crusade against child poverty and how innovation forges new (and unconventional) pathways for connection and support.
Ryan's wealth of diverse career experiences underscores the transformative influence of a dedicated innovation team. This episode is an invitation to embrace the spirit of innovation in our everyday actions and in companies and organizations.
Bio:
Ryan Russell is Vice President of Innovation at Compassion International. He joined Compassion in July 2023 to lead the Compassion of Tomorrow team and grow Compassion’s innovation function. Before Compassion, Ryan served as the Senior Vice President of Design and User Experience (UX) at Hinge Health and spent nine years at Amazon as the Director of Design & UX for Amazon Glow. Under his leadership, the team grew from two people to over 135 across five studios in the U.S. Before Amazon, he led McAfee’s Design Studio, launched Cohdoo Highlight, an award-winning audio recording app, and designed novel consumer computing experiences at Intel.
Resources:
https://www.designkit.org/index.html - This is a site full of content to help anyone innovate and work backwards from the neighbors they are serving. The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design (https://www.designkit.org/resources/1.html) available on the site offers is a great step-by-step resource to design thinking and innovation.
Get our new FREE 56-page e-book, Called to Serve: How to Navigate a Christian Vocation in Humanitarian, Disaster, and Development Work.
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This episode was produced by WildfireCreative
Theme Song: “Turning Over Tables” by The Brilliance
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(Note to the listener: In this podcast, sometimes we'll host Evangelicals, and sometimes we won't. Learning how to “do good, better” involves listening to many perspectives with different insights and understanding. Sometimes, it will make us uncomfortable; sometimes, we'll agree, and sometimes, we won't. We think that's good. We want to listen for correction–especially in our blind spots.)
The Better Samaritan podcast is produced by the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College, which offers an M.A. in Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership and a Trauma Certificate. To learn more and apply, visit our website.
Jamie Aten, Ph.D., and Kent Annan, M.Div., co-direct the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College and are the Co-Founders of Spiritual First Aid.
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