Episodes

  • 48. From Biotech to Climate Action: Building Culture That Scales w/ Brian Cali

    48. From Biotech to Climate Action: Building Culture That Scales w/ Brian Cali
    Jan 5 2026
    In this episode of Culture Architects, David Friedman interviews Brian Cali, a molecular biologist turned entrepreneur and investor. Brian shares his journey from a young science enthusiast to co-founding Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, emphasizing the importance of relationships, culture, and collaboration in building successful companies. As Ironwood grew, Brian navigated the challenges of maintaining a healthy company culture and adapting to organizational complexity. After a successful career in biotech, he transitioned to climate advocacy, focusing on community building and empowering others to engage in climate action. Brian's story highlights the significance of intentionality in leadership and the ripple effect of decisions made within organizations.
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    53 mins
  • 47. Designing Cultures Where Everyone Thrives w/ Leo Sanders (Part 2)

    47. Designing Cultures Where Everyone Thrives w/ Leo Sanders (Part 2)
    Dec 15 2025
    Part Two opens with the case for representation—why teams that reflect the communities they serve make better decisions—and explores the outsized role of language in building trust, shared meaning, and belonging. Leo closes with practical guidance leaders can use to translate inclusive intent into everyday behaviors.
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    30 mins
  • 47. Designing Cultures Where Everyone Thrives w/ Leo Sanders (Part 1)

    47. Designing Cultures Where Everyone Thrives w/ Leo Sanders (Part 1)
    Dec 8 2025
    Leo Sanders demystifies DEI by defining it in plain terms, grounding it in civil-rights practice, and connecting it to performance: attract broader talent, retain it, and remove barriers so people can thrive. He addresses the common backlash by showing how critics often reduce DEI to one tactic, and he offers a pragmatic approach—universal design and phased improvements—to make progress without breaking budgets.
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    31 mins
  • 46. Aligning Values, Beliefs, and Behaviors to Drive Results w/ Ann Melinger (Part 2)

    46. Aligning Values, Beliefs, and Behaviors to Drive Results w/ Ann Melinger (Part 2)
    Nov 24 2025
    Part Two picks up with the leader’s job of clarity and a practical discussion of value types (core vs. permission-to-play, aspirational, accidental) and how language choices either create dissonance or drive behavior. Ann and David explore how to translate purpose and values into daily practice—so culture lives in what people actually experience, not just what’s printed on the wall.
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    27 mins
  • 46. Aligning Values, Beliefs, and Behaviors to Drive Results w/ Ann Melinger (Part 1)

    46. Aligning Values, Beliefs, and Behaviors to Drive Results w/ Ann Melinger (Part 1)
    Nov 17 2025
    Ann Melinger, CEO of bink, joins David to chart the shift from “engagement” to culture—and why experiences, not perks, reveal who you really are under pressure. Ann introduces bink’s culture compass (values, behaviors, beliefs/mission/vision, experiences) and makes the case for leadership alignment, manager enablement, and writing behaviors instead of aspirational “we” statements.
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    31 mins
  • 45. Inside Pella's People-First Culture w/ John Bollman (Part 2)

    45. Inside Pella's People-First Culture w/ John Bollman (Part 2)
    Nov 3 2025
    Part Two picks up with John Bollman’s answer about Pella’s six culture accelerators and the link between culture and performance. John shares how Pella’s intentional focus on leadership development, recruiting for fit, and integrating acquisitions has helped the company outperform its industry for years. He also reflects on lessons learned throughout his career — and why he believes the greatest gift a leader can give is a culture where people can thrive.
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    26 mins
  • 45. Inside Pella's People-First Culture w/ John Bollman (Part 1)

    45. Inside Pella's People-First Culture w/ John Bollman (Part 1)
    Oct 27 2025
    John Bollman, CHRO at Pella Corporation, joins David for a conversation about how leadership and culture shape a company’s long-term success. In Part One, John traces his career from law to HR, the early lessons he learned at Whirlpool, and how Pella set out to define a culture anchored in caring, learning, and results. The episode ends just as David asks about the connection between culture and results — a question John answers in Part Two.
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    26 mins
  • 44. Bridging the Divide: Nathan Hall on DEI and Culture Building (Part 2)

    44. Bridging the Divide: Nathan Hall on DEI and Culture Building (Part 2)
    Oct 13 2025
    Part Two opens with Nathan Hall’s answer to the question: what do people most often get wrong about DEI? From there, Nathan reframes diversity, equity, and inclusion as foundational to all culture work, not separate initiatives. He explains why friction can actually fuel creativity and progress, and he previews Culture Check’s new Work of Us framework — designed to help leaders lower the temperature and align their teams to move forward together.
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    34 mins