Beauty At Work

Sociologist Brandon Vaidyanathan talks to two experts combating our current loneliness crisis: Ron Ivey and Monika Jiang.Ron Ivey is a writer, researcher, and strategic advisor to business, governments, and philanthropies with a focus on social trust, belonging, and human flourishing.  Ron is currently the Managing Director of the Humanity 2.0 Institute and a Research Fellow at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program where he co-leads the Trust and Belonging Initiative. Ron also currently serves as a Fellow at the Centre for Public Impact, a global think tank seeking to re-imagine government and restore relationships between governments and those they govern. In 2017, Ron established a consultancy, Rembrandt Collective, to shape business strategies for trust, alignment and social impact. Monika Jiang, a second-generation Chinese immigrant, has always walked the line between feeling estranged and belonging. Her journey, marked by oscillations between aloneness, loneliness, and connection, has profoundly influenced her personal and professional life, shaping her into a visionary who senses what wants to emerge as we move closer to ourselves, each other, and the world. Professionally, Monika has made a significant impact at the House of Beautiful Business. Here, she helped build a global community of 50,000 members dedicated to a life-centered economy. By curating and hosting transformative gatherings, she helped business leaders imagine and transform themselves and their environments. Monika’s deep desire to move from loneliness to oneliness inspired her to found the initiative Sharing Our Loneliness. This initiative aims to raise awareness about the paradoxical power of loneliness to reconnect us with ourselves and others. She is a teacher in training with Humanize, an evidence-based program focused on fostering emotional and social skills, and she practices these skills based on social neuroscientific research at the Max-Planck Institute in Berlin. In this episode we talk about: Loneliness and growing up in a multicultural environment How the experience of shared loneliness can actually bring us closer togetherCurrent research on loneliness and social cohesion and the blind spots in policiesCross-cultural differences in lonelinessThe surprising beauty that can be found within our experience of lonelinessTo learn more about Monika’s work, you can find her at:Website: https://www.monikajiang.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monika.jiang/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monika-jiang/  To learn more about Ron’s work, you can find him at:X: https://x.com/roniveyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/monika.jiang/ Linkedin: https://fr.linkedin.com/in/ron-ivey-0bb9a33This episode is sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/) andthe Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/)Support the show

Nalini Nadkarni’s unique academic career interweaves her scientific research on rainforest canopy biota with innovative public engagement. She has written 150 scientific papers and books on the composition and ecological roles of canopy-dwelling communities, supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society. She also engages with those who do not or cannot gain access to science education, including faith-based groups, artists, corporations, and people who are incarcerated. Her work is featured in journals ranging from Science to Playboy, and in public media such as Science Friday, Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, and RadioLab. In 2023, the National Geographic Society named her as one of their ten “Explorers at Large.” Her awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the AAAS Award for Public Engagement, the National Science Foundation Award for Public Service, The Rachel Carson Award for Conservation, The Wilson Award for the Advancement of Social Justice, and the Archie Carr Medal for Conservation. In this second part of our conversation, Nalini discusses:How she created "Treetop Barbie" and overcame Mattel's attempts to stop herPartnering with faith groups to emphasize the spiritual value of treesInvolving inmates in meaningful conservation workLeveraging impact investment for sustainable ecological fundingTo learn more about Nalini’s work:https://www.nalininadkarni.com/ https://explorers.nationalgeographic.org/directory/nalini-m-nadkarni Follow us on social media for more updates:Twitter: @brvnathanInstagram: @brvnathanSubscribe to our newsletter for exclusive early access to episodes: www.beautyatwork.netThis episode is sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/) and Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/).Support the show

Nalini Nadkarni’s unique academic career interweaves her scientific research on rainforest canopy biota with innovative public engagement. She has written 150 scientific papers and books on the composition and ecological roles of canopy-dwelling communities, supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society. She also engages with those who do not or cannot gain access to science education, including faith-based groups, artists, corporations, and people who are incarcerated. Her work is featured in journals ranging from Science to Playboy, and in public media such as Science Friday, Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, and RadioLab. In 2023, the National Geographic Society named her as one of their ten “Explorers at Large.” Her awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the AAAS Award for Public Engagement, the National Science Foundation Award for Public Service, The Rachel Carson Award for Conservation, The Wilson Award for the Advancement of Social Justice, and the Archie Carr Medal for Conservation. In this first part of our conversation, Nalini discusses:Her childhood love for treesHer pioneering research on the forest canopyHow the discovery of canopy roots reshaped our understanding of tree biology.Challenges and risks she encountered in her work To learn more about Nalini’s work:https://www.nalininadkarni.com/ https://explorers.nationalgeographic.org/directory/nalini-m-nadkarni Follow us on social media for more updates:Twitter: @brvnathanInstagram: @brvnathanSubscribe to our newsletter for exclusive early access to episodes: www.beautyatwork.netThis episode is sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/) and Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/).Support the show

Existential psychologist Dr. Clay Routledge, Vice President of Research at the Archbridge Institute, discusses the science of nostalgia, and why our yearning for beautiful memories is not simply an escape to the past but a vital resource for innovation.Clay is a highly cited researcher who has published more than 100 scholarly papers, co-edited three academic books, authored three books, and received numerous awards for his research and mentorship. Clay regularly advises a range of organizations, from small startups to large companies, helping them use existential psychology and behavioral science more broadly to improve their products, services, and workplace culture. His latest book is Past Forward: How Nostalgia Can Help You Live a More Meaningful Life.In this second part of our conversation, Clay discusses:Why we are nostalgic for both good and bad timesHow nostalgia is a resource for innovation and spiritualityReflection exercises to harness nostalgia for personal growthTo learn more about Clay’s work, you can find him at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayroutledge/ X: https://twitter.com/clayroutledge Human Flourishing Lab: https://humanflourishinglab.org Personal Website: https://www.clayroutledge.com Substack (Flourishing Friday): https://www.flourishingfriday.blog/ His latest book (Past Forward): https://www.amazon.com/Past-Forward-Nostalgia-Help-Meaningful/dp/1683648641/Follow us on social media for more updates:Twitter: @brvnathanInstagram: @brvnathanSubscribe to our newsletter for exclusive early access to episodes: www.beautyatwork.netThis episode is sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/) and Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/).Support the show

Clay Routledge, a leading expert in existential psychology and Vice President of Research at the Archbridge Institute, dives deep into the science of nostalgia. He shares cherished childhood memories that shaped his path. The conversation reveals how nostalgia isn't just a retreat to the past; it fuels innovation and helps cope with existential anxiety. Clay discusses generational nostalgia, especially among Gen Z, yearning for simplicity in our tech-driven world. Overall, it's a fascinating blend of memory, emotion, and motivation that shapes our lives.

Season 3 of the podcast launches in July. We have a great lineup of guests coming up! I'd also love to hear your recommendations for guests and topics that you'd like to hear on the show. Please feel free to reach out at beautyatworkpodcast@gmail.comSupport the show

What, if anything, is beautiful about democracy? Is it meaningful to talk about beauty when it comes to politics? These questions were discussed (and even fiercely debated) in our final plenary session of the Beauty at Work international symposium held at The Catholic University of America, May 27, 2023. This episode is the second part of the discussion. Please listen to the first part here if you haven't already: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/15128215Panelists for the session were Hélène Landemore (Yale University), Shadi Hamid (The Atlantic), and Osita Nwanevu (The New Republic)The panel was moderated by Samuel Kimbriel, The Aspen Institute.You can find the full video of the discussion on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/9FQPHMRsW1A?si=t7fcKRhfnr4EbL2rThis symposium was sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust, the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California, the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame, Archbridge Institute, and the Institute for Human Ecology at the Catholic University of America.Support the show

What, if anything, is beautiful about democracy? Is it meaningful to talk about beauty when it comes to politics? These questions were discussed (and even fiercely debated) in our final plenary session of the Beauty at Work international symposium held at The Catholic University of America, May 27, 2023. We will share this session with you over the next couple of episodes. Panelists for the session were Hélène Landemore (Yale University), Shadi Hamid (The Atlantic), and Osita Nwanevu (The New Republic)The panel was moderated by Samuel Kimbriel, Aspen Institute.You can find the full video of the discussion on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/9FQPHMRsW1A?si=t7fcKRhfnr4EbL2rThis symposium was sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust, the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California, the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame, Archbridge Institute, and the Institute for Human Ecology at the Catholic University of America.Support the show

This is part 2 of a 2-part episode examining how beauty works to shape our brains, the spaces we inhabit, and the communities we build. Please check out part 1 if you haven't already: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/15078668These questions were the focus of the second plenary session of our International Symposium on Beauty at Work that we held in Washington DC in May 2023. Our panelists were:Anjan Chatterjee, University of PennsylvaniaJulio Bermudez, The Catholic University of AmericaPallavi Dean, Roar, Dubai, UAESheri Parks, University of MarylandThe panel was moderated by Christine Emba, Staff Writer at The AtlanticYou can watch the video of the discussion here: https://youtu.be/4VhC7mTxEoQThis symposium was sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust, the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California, the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame, Archbridge Institute, and the Institute for Human Ecology at the Catholic University of America.Support the show

How does beauty shape our brains, the spaces we inhabit, and the communities we build?These questions were the focus of the second plenary session of our International Symposium on Beauty at Work that we held in Washington DC in May 2023. The panelists in this second session of our Symposium tackle these questionsAnjan Chatterjee, University of PennsylvaniaJulio Bermudez, The Catholic University of AmericaPallavi Dean, Roar, Dubai, UAESheri Parks, University of MarylandThe panel was moderated by Christine Emba, Staff Writer at The AtlanticYou can watch the video of the discussion here: https://youtu.be/4VhC7mTxEoQThis symposium was sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust, the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California, the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame, Archbridge Institute, and the Institute for Human Ecology at the Catholic University of America.Support the show