In this episode, I sit down with Morgan DeNicola, Executive Director of the DeNicola Family Foundation, to explore how curiosity, humor, and empathy can create bridges across even the most polarized divides.

We talk about her journey from special education into international diplomacy, what it really means to listen, and how she stays grounded while working on everything from orphanages to conservation projects to cross-cultural negotiation.

🔑 In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How Morgan transitioned from teaching to global diplomacy
• The overlooked link between classrooms and cross-cultural negotiation
• Why true diplomacy begins with setting your own ego aside
• How to build bridges with people you disagree with — without shrinking yourself
• What it means to truly listen (and why most of us don’t)
• The “swinging pendulum” of mental health in mission-driven work
• Why conservation work can bring unlikely allies together

The deNicola Family Foundation

Elmwood Park Zoo

The Humpty Dumpty Institute

Morgan on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok

Want to be a guest on Stories for the future: Beyond the Bubble? Send Veslemoy Klavenes-Berge a message on PodMatch.

You can always find more information about the podcast and my work on storiesforthefuture.com