“One of the most beautiful, sort of promising - and also tragic - statements that I heard very, very early on, when I started this work, nearly what 17-18, years ago was the girls would say, ‘Nobody ever told us we had strengths.’”
- Steve Leventhal, CEO of WorldBeing

In this episode of Standing Up Strong, Steve Leventhal joins Dr. Jillian Coppley to talk about why wellbeing isn’t something we earn after things get better—it’s what helps people make things better.
Through his work with young people around the world, Steve shows that when kids recognize their strengths, believe in their worth, and learn how to speak up, they’re better equipped to stand up to injustice, inequality, and difficult circumstances.

By starting from the inside out—building identity, kindness, and courage—Steve reminds us that upstanders aren’t born; they’re developed. And when we invest in wellbeing, we’re not just helping individuals thrive—we’re helping communities change.

More about host Jillian Coppley:

Dr. Jillian Coppley is a visionary executive recognized internationally for her expertise in character strengths, wellbeing, and organizational transformation. With deep experience in positive psychology, strategy, and change, she has led large-scale collaborations, built global programs, strategic partnerships, and thriving organizational cultures that empower individuals, teams and organizations to flourish. Her leadership blends strategic vision, research-based innovation, and deep personal care for others —creating environments where people and programs thrive and where meaningful, lasting impact takes root. 

This series is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the science of character strengths is integral to our work creating a community of upstanders. 
https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/  
https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity     

Our thanks to the Mayerson Family Foundation and the VIA Institute on Character for their support of this series    
https://www.mayersonfoundation.org/      
https://www.viacharacter.org/   

Episode Resources

Read more about the work at WorldBeing
https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_missing_link_in_girls_education

Follow WorldBeing on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/worldbeing/

Follow Steve
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-leventhal-a2748/

Follow Jillian
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcoppley/

Take a free character strengths quiz
https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/upstander/assess-your-character-strengths/