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Givers, Doers, & Thinkers—A Podcast on Philanthropy and Civil Society

Givers, Doers, and Thinkers introduces listeners to the fascinating people and important ideas at the heart of American civil society. We speak with philanthropists, foundation leaders, reformers, social entrepreneurs, nonprofit executives, religious believers, historians, sociologists, philosophers, journalists, and anyone else who will help us understand contemporary civil society’s achievements and failures. We also sprinkle in practical advice for nonprofit leaders and fundraisers. This is the podcast for anyone interested in that vital space where philanthropy and civil society intersect.

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Givers, Doers, & Thinkers—A Podcast on Philanthropy and Civil Society

Ian Rowe & leading a meaningful life

September 21, 2022 • Jeremy Beer • Season 4 • Episode 9

This week on Givers, Doers, & Thinkers, Jeremy chats with the Ian Rowe about why we need to replace our obsession with equity with the empowering concept of agency.

Ian V. Rowe is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on education and upward mobility, family formation, and adoption. He is co-founder & CEO of Vertex Partnership Academies, a new network of character-based, International Baccalaureate public charter high schools opening in the Bronx in 2022. He is widely published and quoted in the popular press, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, C-SPAN, the New York Post, and the Washington Examiner. With his recent book Agency, Ian Rowe seeks to inspire young people of all races to build strong families and become masters of their own destiny.

To kick off the conversation, Ian shares about being a son of Jamaican immigrants in the 1960s and the wisdom and mindset his father passed down to him as a young man. Inspiring questions such as: How do we create better environments for young people to flourish? Why do young people feel like they have little control over their future? Ian identifies the trapping narratives that deprive people of a sense of agency and why it is such a hard concept to accept by those who follow the victimhood narrative. He then outlines how to address this issue in ways attainable for people from all backgrounds. Noting that, shockingly, the “gatekeepers” for the less advantaged don’t always know what is best.

Today's GDT Reader’s Guide recommendation comes from American Philanthropic's Chief Solutions Officer, Kieran Raval. He shares Peter Thiel's book, Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future. Kieran identifies helpful takeaways like "taking risks is good," "having a bad plan is better than no plan," and "sales and product both matter," and how it applies to nonprofits.

You can find Givers, Doers, & Thinkers here at Philanthropy Daily, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Buzzsprout, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

We’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, questions, and recommendations for the podcast! You can shoot Katie Janus, GDT’s producer, an email anytime!

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