That Made All the Difference artwork

That Made All the Difference

29 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 146 ratings

Sometimes, a single moment can change a person’s entire life. Like when documentary filmmaker Ken Burns saw his father cry for the first time, or when Sal Khan, a hedge fund analyst, decided to tackle the impossible and educate people around the globe. Host Alicia Burke talks to doers like Ken Burns, Arianna Huffington and Sal Khan about the powerful moments that inspired them to make an impact.

Careers Business Education sister pie special olympics lisa ludwinski dan harris mary davis loretta claiborne pivotal moments sal khan bank of america new york times
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Episodes

Andrew Heinrich, Founder and Executive Director, Project Rousseau

November 23, 2021 11:00 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MB

What if every child had access to higher education? Advocate Andrew Heinrich discusses finding his purpose helping young people from underserved backgrounds, and how the smallest moments can make the biggest impact. Learn about what inspired him to start such a vital organization at a young age and what gives him hope for the future.

Matt Damon and Gary White, Water.org and WaterEquity co-founders

November 16, 2021 11:00 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MB

What if clean water could help women achieve true equality? Learn about how actor/writer Matt Damon and engineer Gary White are combining practical solutions with storytelling to help create global access to clean water. Hear what inspired their work and what they learned along the way.

Jeni Britton, Founder & Chief Creative Officer Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

November 09, 2021 11:00 - 20 minutes - 18.3 MB

What if you really listened to the kid in you? Entrepreneur Jeni Britton discusses how a childhood inspiration led her to see owning a business as an act of fellowship. Hear how starting small and always improving were her “secrets” to building a successful business and a better world.

Adrian Grenier, Actor, Environmentalist and Impact Investor

November 02, 2021 10:00 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MB

What if solving for climate change started with you? Hear actor Adrian Grenier reflect on becoming a committed environmentalist and what his journey means to him. In a wide-ranging conversation, he talks about moving from New York City to a Texas farm and finding ways to build a better world on a personal level.

Catherine Coleman Flowers, Environmental Justice Activist

October 26, 2021 10:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MB

What if where you were born inspired your life’s work? Hear how growing up in the rural South drove Catherine Coleman Flowers to become one of America’s top advocates for environmental justice. From clean water to climate solutions, Catherine has fought tirelessly for the place she calls home.

Savita Subramanian, Head of ESG Research, BofA Global Research

October 19, 2021 10:00 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MB

What if doing well and doing good could go hand in hand? From climate solutions to the pursuit of equality, Savita Subramanian talks about her journey and current day work in this insightful discussion. She also talks about her own background and how she found her calling.

Listen to the trailer for Season 4 of That Made All the Difference

October 12, 2021 12:58 - 1 minute - 4.05 MB

What if you were inspired to build a more sustainable future? Join Bank of America's Alicia Burke for a series of in-depth conversations with guests like Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, environmental justice activist Catherine Coleman Flowers and actor Adrian Grenier. It's all about the moments that spark positive change.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., Professor, Harvard University

August 02, 2021 10:00 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MB

What if your love of history could help unite us all? Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. discusses discovering a passion for history, his own genealogical roots, and helping others do the same. Hear about his latest documentary, ‘The Black Church,’ the history of the African-American experience and the discovery that we all have more in common than we might think.

Vincent Beckman, Restaurateur and Worker Advocate

July 26, 2021 10:00 - 15 minutes - 13.7 MB

What if embracing your roots led you to your passion? Vincent Beckman, worker advocate and founder of the Chicago restaurant Tanta, sat down to discuss rediscovering his Peruvian heritage through food. When the pandemic hit, his work with the Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project became more essential than ever.

Arian Simone, Fearless Fund Cofounder

July 19, 2021 10:00 - 10 minutes - 10 MB

What if your fearlessness gave others the courage to succeed? Arian Simone, cofounder of the Fearless Fund, a venture capital fund built by women of color for women of color, spoke about her background as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist. When Arian turned to investing, she saw the potential in women who look like her – and she was right.

Connie Chung Joe, CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice LA

July 12, 2021 10:00 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MB

What if you could put an end to harmful stereotypes? Connie Chung Joe discusses her background and career spent fighting for equality. As a global pandemic combined with long-standing prejudices, she worked even harder to support Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and help bridge other communities of color.

Yvonne Orji, Actor, Comedian and Author

July 06, 2021 10:00 - 24 minutes - 22 MB

What if comedy brought communities together? Yvonne Orji has a background that's as unique as her acting and stand-up performances. Nigerian born, with a childhood spent growing up in America, she discusses finding her gold and breaking through by being herself.

Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian

June 28, 2021 10:00 - 24 minutes - 22.3 MB

What if finding your voice helped heal a nation? In this episode, host Alicia Burke sits down with Lonnie Bunch to discuss developing his passion for history and finding his calling at the Smithsonian. It's a conversation that encompasses both his journey and present-day work showcasing objects that tell the stories of African American lives.

Listen to the trailer for Season 3 of That Made All the Difference

June 18, 2021 17:07 - 1 minute - 4.57 MB

We live in a changing world, but who's working to change it for the better? Join host & Bank of America executive Alicia Burke for a series of in-depth conversations with scholars, artists and advocates like Yvonne Orji, from HBO's Insecure, and Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian. It's all about the moments that mattered for people who are working for equality.​

Vincent Stanley, Director of Philosophy of Patagonia

September 21, 2020 04:00 - 21 minutes - 20 MB

Vincent Stanley joins “That Made All the Difference” to share why the company, its founders and its employees are guided by one mission: ‘protecting our home planet’. Also, he shares the secret to changing people’s minds and the profound, yet underestimated power of a small group of dedicated people.

Marc Morial, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Urban League

September 14, 2020 14:31 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MB

Civil rights leader Marc Morial comes to ‘That Made All the Difference’ to discuss his time as mayor of New Orleans, today’s challenges, and what it will take to build a more just, equitable and inclusive society.

Janet Murguía, President and CEO of UnidosUS

August 03, 2020 04:00 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MB

Civil rights activist Janet Murguía joins ‘That Made All the Difference’ to discuss her upbringing as the daughter of immigrant parents and how that experience informs her life’s work advocating for Hispanic/Latino civil rights and battling systemic inequality.

Ken Burns, Filmmaker, Returns

July 27, 2020 04:00 - 17 minutes - 16.7 MB

Filmmaker Ken Burns returns to "That Made All the Difference" to reflect on the past few months, and talk about why he believes that society has an opportunity to turn this 'completely unique moment' in history into meaningful and positive change.

Lisa Ludwinski, Head Baker and Owner of Sister Pie, Returns

June 29, 2020 04:00 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MB

Lisa comes back to “That Made All the Difference” to share how necessity transformed her neighborhood bakery into an essential hub for community support – and why sourdough makes her dance

Sal Khan, Educator and Founder of Khan Academy, Returns

June 22, 2020 08:00 - 20 minutes - 19.3 MB

Sal Khan returns to That Made All the Difference to discuss how he, his family and Khan Academy are managing through the crisis — and to share a bit of his vision for the future of education.

Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, President of Howard University

June 15, 2020 08:00 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MB

Dr. Frederick joins That Made All the Difference to discuss how his career as a surgeon has influenced his work as an educator, administrator and champion of underserved communities, and why he believes we may be on the cusp of the next "golden generation."

That Made All the Difference Season 2 Trailer

June 09, 2020 18:00 - 1 minute - 1.83 MB

Host Alicia Burke connects with notable guests like Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, the president of Howard University, and Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, to explore how they are responding to the events of today and what they're doing to better themselves, their community and the world.

Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO of Thrive Global

October 14, 2019 02:00 - 16 minutes - 15.9 MB

Arianna worked around the clock on her company HuffPost until she collapsed on the floor. This “wakeup call” launched a new mission: To help people avoid burnout.

Sal Khan, Educator and Founder of Khan Academy

October 07, 2019 02:00 - 19 minutes - 18.7 MB

When Sal tutored his young cousin long-distance in math, it sparked the inspiration for a non-profit that would provide a free world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

Loretta Claiborne, Chief Inspiration Officer, Special Olympics

September 30, 2019 02:00 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MB

Loretta and Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics, discuss how Loretta moved past her disabilities – and her critics – to become a repeat gold medalist.

Lisa Ludwinski, Head Baker and Owner of Sister Pie

September 23, 2019 02:00 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MB

Lisa explains the inspiration behind her much-loved Detroit bakery, which has a hyperlocal vision, a broad influence and pies with buttery, flaky crusts.

Ken Burns, Filmmaker

September 16, 2019 02:00 - 18 minutes - 17 MB

Ken opens up about the emotional moment with his father that inspired him to become a filmmaker — and how choosing New Hampshire over New York helped him make a bigger impact.

Dan Harris, News Anchor and Author

September 09, 2019 02:00 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MB

After Dan had an on-air panic attack, he realized he had to stop chasing the adrenaline he was accustomed to as a war correspondent and find healthier ways to attain happiness.

Introducing That Made All the Difference

August 20, 2019 22:09 - 1 minute - 2.08 MB

Sometimes, one moment can change everything. In this new podcast, premiering Sept. 9, host Alicia Burke explores the defining moments that inspired achievers to make a difference.