
The Deep Dive
The Deep Dive is a culture and insights podcast with Philip McKenzie, an anthropologist who uses his expertise in culture to advise organizations on how best to thrive in an increasingly challenging and uncertain environment. Every week, Philip goes below the surface with the people who matter the most.
Latest episodes

Mar 6, 2025 • 1h 12min
Episode 216: Collapse, Trauma and Solidarity w/Ginie Servant-Miklos & Pamela Armitage
Philip welcomes Ginie Servant-Miklos author of Pedagogies of Collapse and Pamela Armitage, Chief Impact Officer at Studium Violentiae and Violence Prevention, Trauma and Defense Educator to the show to discuss the specific ways that trauma acts on and reinforces challenges to solidarity.
The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings.
Philip’s Drop:
Eyes of the Prize (MAX/PBS)
Columbus & Other Cannibals – Jack D. Forbes
Ginie’s Drop:
The work of G.D.H Cole
https://www.hetwebsite.net/het/profiles/cole.htm
Pamela’s Drop:
Braiding Sweetgrass – Robin Wall Kimmerer
Works of David Lynch
https://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/Special Guest: Ginie Servant-Miklos .

Feb 27, 2025 • 1h 5min
Episode 215: Just Enough Is Not The Minimum w/Erika Hall
Philip welcomes back designer and author of “Just Enough Research” Erika Hall to the show to discuss how “just enough” is a bigger concept than you think and how design and research play pivotal roles in how we shape and think about the world.
The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings.
Philip’s Drop: River
Sing Me Home – Eleanor Shearer
Erika’s Drop:
The Big Book of Cyberpunk edited by Jared Shurin
KEXP – FM Special Guest: Erika Hall.

Feb 20, 2025 • 1h 2min
Episode 214: Survival is a Promise w/Alexis Pauline Gumbs
Philip welcomes poet/writer Alexis Pauline Gumbs to the show to discuss her book Survival Is A Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde, a biography of poet, writer, educatpr Audre Lorde. In their conversation, they explore Audre Lorde’s like, work and legacy and the incredible resonance she continues to have to generations of thinkers and explorers.
The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings.
Philip’s Drop:
Line of Duty (Prime)
Alexis’s Drop:
Blink Twice Special Guest: Alexis Pauline Gumbs.

Feb 13, 2025 • 1h 5min
Episode 213: The Aftermath w/ Soraya Chemaly, Aida Mariam Davis, & Stephanie Luce
Philip welcomes three dynamic former guests of The Deep Dive to discuss the aftermath of our most recent election and the current mood and potential working strategies to create conditions for viable alternative(s) to the current social, economic and political models.
The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings.
Philip’s Drop:
Mr. Loverman – Bernardine Evaristo
Soraya’s Drop:
Martyr! – Kaveh Akbar
Aida’s Drop:
The Contract with Black America – Tavis Smiley
Stephanie’s Drop:
Everything is Possible – Joseph Fronczak Special Guests: Aida Mariam Davis, Soraya Chemaly, and Stephanie Luce.

Feb 6, 2025 • 1h 7min
Episode 212: Multisolving in a Fractured World w/ Dr. Elizabeth Sawin
Philip welcomes Dr. Elizabeth Sawin the author of Multisolving: Creating Systems Change in a Fractured World. Their conversation covers how myriad and overlapping problems require a drastically different approach.
The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings.
Philip’s Drop:
The Deluge – Stephen Markley
Elizabeths Drop:
https://www.edx.org/certificates/professional-certificate/wisconsinx-psychology-of-deep-resilience

Jan 30, 2025 • 1h 4min
Episode 211: Welcome to the Creative Club w/ Pia Leichter
Philip welcomes Pia Leichter, founder of the Kollektiv Studio and author of Welcome to the Creative Club. In our conversation, we explore what it means to be creative and the implications when we expand its meaning and importance.
The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings.
Philip’s Drop:
Creature Commandos (Max)
Pia’s Drop:
I Do Everything I’m Told – Megan Fernandes Special Guest: Pia Leichter.

Jan 23, 2025 • 58min
Episode 210: Reckoning with Mass Incarceration w/ Kevin B. Smith
Philip welcome Kevin B. Smith author of The Jailer’s Reckoning: How Mass Incarceration is Damaging America. In their conversation, they trace the myriad reasons why America, a leading democracy, also imprisons more people than any other country on Earth.
The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings.
Philip’s Drop:
The Language of Things – Deyan Sudjic
Kevin’s Drop:
James – Percival Everett

5 snips
Jan 15, 2025 • 1h 6min
Episode 209: Thinking About A Human Economy w/ Indy Johar
Indy Johar, a key thinker in human economy and frequent podcast guest, joins to explore a new vision for our economic future. He discusses the need to integrate human values with advanced technologies, warning against the risks of power centralization. The conversation critiques modern economic systems for neglecting environmental costs and promotes radical rethinking of value in sustainable contexts. They also touch on media recommendations that challenge the status quo, urging listeners to engage with complex societal narratives.

Dec 19, 2024 • 59min
Episode 208: Morningside and the Greensboro Massacre w/ Aran Shetterly
Philip welcomes Aran Shetterly, author of Morningside: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the Struggle for an American City’s Soul.
In their conversation, they go through the historical Greensboro Massacre and what it meant for the post Civil Rights era and the dawn of the Reagan era.
The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings.
Philip’s Drop:
C.B Strike (HBO Max)
Aran’s Drop:
Dark Winds (AMC)
Portraits of Peacemakers – edited by Robert Shetterly Special Guest: Aran Shetterly .

Dec 12, 2024 • 45min
Episode 207: What Design Can’t Do w/ Silvio Lorusso
Philip welcomes Silvio Lorusso to talk about his book What Design Can’t Do. In their conversation, they examine how design as a practice has changed and often fails to addresses larger social and economic issues.
The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings.
Philip’s Drop:
Quincy Jones Discography
Silvio’s Drop:
Nick Cave Discography