What does a steelworker’s son from Northern England know about global business elevation? Quite a lot, as it turns out. My guest today, Chris Cooper, has a story that feels less like a traditional career ladder and more like a masterclass in intentionality. We explore his journey from the gritty reality of the British steel industry to the helm of one of the world’s longest-running business podcasts.

Chris is a man who truly embodies "Business Elevation." He isn’t just talking about bottom lines; he’s talking about the "ripple effect" of leadership—how one person’s energy can lift an entire team, a company, and even a community in Kenya.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The "Chief Executive" Moment: The childhood encounter that changed Chris’s trajectory at age 13.
• Energy Management: Moving teams from the "Crap Zone" to a high-performance frequency.
• The Elevation Collective: Why Chris is gathering "lights" from around the world to amplify social good.
• Purpose in Practice: Chris’s hands-on work with Molly Bedingfield’s Global Angels project in Kenya.
• Legacy Projects: How business and community good merged in the creation of Everards Meadows.

For all the podcasts, highlight videos, resources, and everything you want to know about Grand Challenges, click visit grandchallenges.info

In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend and collaborator Andrew Kutt, founder and Board Chair of Oneness-Family Montessori School in Chevy Chase, MD—a school that mattered deeply to my family during my kids’ early years.

Andrew shares how his path from world literature and meditation to Montessori training led him to open the school in 1988 with just seven students, and how it’s grown into a multi-generational community with alumni around the world.

We unpack the school’s three-part model—Academy, Self-Discovery, and Manifestation—and how Oneness is responding to today’s “polycrisis” world with new upper-grade initiatives, including courses on the history of capitalism and Being Human in the age of AI, plus a push to build an endowment for long-term sustainability.

Learn more: onenessfamily.org
Contact Andrew: andrew@onenessfamily.org

For all the podcasts, highlight videos, resources, and everything you want to know about Grand Challenges, click visit grandchallenges.info

In this episode, I sit down with Joe Feldman, founder and CEO of Cover My Mental Health. His website, CoverMyMentalHealth.org, is filled with free resources—including helpful instructions and templates—designed to empower families and clinicians. Joe’s journey began when his child was denied essential mental health care—sparking a federal lawsuit and igniting his passion for advocacy.

He shares how that fight led to the creation of Cover My Mental Health, a nonprofit equipping families and clinicians with practical tools—letters, scripts, and resources—to challenge insurance denials and access care. Drawing on his startup background and collaborations with advocates, clinicians, and even former insurers, Joe launched the organization in just months.

We talk about turning personal struggle into systemic change, the importance of coalition-building, and why encouragement and accessibility are key to reform. If you’ve ever faced a mental health coverage denial—or work on the front lines—this conversation offers hope, strategies, and a reminder: you don’t have to take no for an answer. Learn more at covermymentalhealth.org

For all the podcasts, highlight videos, resources, and everything you want to know about Grand Challenges, click visit grandchallenges.info