As United Way Metropolitan Dallas celebrates its 100th anniversary, Ami Thakkar brings together seven of North Texas’ most influential business leaders for a powerful conversation about community, leadership, and legacy. This special compilation episode highlights how the organization’s mission—to improve education, income, and health for all—has transformed lives for an entire century and continues to drive meaningful impact today.

From pandemic recovery to workforce development, each leader shares a personal story of why giving back isn’t just philanthropy—it’s a responsibility. Together, they reveal how collaboration between corporations, nonprofits, and individuals can build a stronger, more equitable Dallas for generations to come.

Whether you’re a CEO, volunteer, or someone looking to make a difference, this episode is proof that change happens when leadership meets compassion—and when we all act like owners of our communities.

• Jean Savage (Trinity Industries): How United Way mobilized during the pandemic and inspired corporate giving through creative fundraising. (02:10)
• Curt Farmer (Comerica Incorporated): The power of engaging CEOs and businesses to create systemic, long-term community impact. (11:34)
• Antonio Carrillo (Arcosa Inc.): Why leadership is about service, and how United Way helps companies make measurable, local change. (17:30)
• Scott Richardson (Celanese Corporation): The long-term results of consistent focus on education and opportunity in South Dallas. (27:31)
• Jim Burke (Vistra Corp.): Why summer programs matter and how United Way bridges the gap for children and working families. (37:46)
• Steven Williams (PepsiCo North America): Building coalitions that last: what business and community can achieve together. (51:02)
• Rob Kaplan (Goldman Sachs): How strategic philanthropy and data-driven collaboration can transform a city’s future. (1:04:38)

Connect with United Way Metropolitan Dallas:

• Website
• X
• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Let’s Connect:

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This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.

Dr. Corinne Low is not your typical Wharton professor. An economist whose research focuses on gender, discrimination, and the hidden costs of modern parenthood, she’s also a mother, wife, and author navigating the very struggles she studies. I sit down with Dr. Low to talk about her new book Having It All (out September 23rd), a data-driven yet deeply personal guide to escaping the false promise of “work-life balance.”

From the silent epidemic of exhausted mothers to the stubborn realities of unequal housework—even when women are the breadwinners—Dr. Low pulls no punches in showing us why the overwhelm isn’t in our heads. It’s in the data. With humor, candor, and hard truths, she invites us to redefine success on our own terms, reclaim our roles as the protagonists of our lives, and maybe even throw away the houseplants for a while.

What you’ll hear in this episode goes far beyond economics—it’s a wake-up call for anyone who’s ever felt like they’re “failing” at doing it all. Spoiler: the system is failing you, not the other way around.

• From Single Mom Upbringing to Wharton Professor: How Dr. Low’s childhood shaped her drive for career stability and independence. (04:58)
• The Silent Epidemic of Parental Time: Why today’s parenting feels harder, and the data proving we’re not crazy for feeling overwhelmed. (05:28)
• From Journalist Dreams to Economist Reality: Dr. Low’s path from writing aspirations to a career in economics and research. (14:43)
• Facing Discrimination Myths with Data: What her research actually reveals about gender, discrimination, and reverse discrimination. (18:42)
• Winning the Bread and Baking It Too: Why female breadwinners still do more at home, and how gender roles refuse to budge. (23:13)
• The 30-Year Squeeze: How careers, childcare, and aging parents collide to make midlife especially exhausting. (31:26)
• Reclaiming the Protagonist Role: Why women must stop being supporting characters in their own lives. (35:06)
• Redefining Success in Economic Terms: Why utility—deep joy and satisfaction—is a better measure than the white picket fence. (38:48)
• Tuckered Out Moments: From pumping on Amtrak to juggling a newborn and a book launch, Dr. Low shares her real-life exhaustion stories. (43:27)

Connect with Dr. Corinne Low:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Bluesky
• LinkedIn
• Google Scholar

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.

With five Michelin stars, a James Beard Award, and two world-class restaurants under his belt, Chef Curtis Duffy's culinary genius is undeniable. I sit down with the acclaimed Chicago chef to talk about the heartbreaking, harrowing, and ultimately healing story behind the food. From surviving the murder-suicide of his parents at age 19 to building his dream restaurant Ever, Chef Duffy opens up about how grief, resilience, and relentless ambition shaped every dish—and every chapter of his life.

The conversation dives into his new memoir Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef, a brutally honest look at a childhood shaped by abuse, abandonment, and redemption. Curtis shares how he found his calling in the kitchen, the mentors who helped save him, and the lessons he’s still learning as a father, husband, and restaurateur. With deep emotion and surprising humor, this episode goes far beyond food—it’s about breaking cycles, finding purpose, and refusing to let your past define you.

• Writing His Way Through the Pain: Curtis shares how his memoir Fireproof helped him process decades of trauma—and why writing was the most powerful form of therapy he’s ever experienced. (2:31)
• Telling His Kids the Truth—Before the World Could: Curtis talks about sitting down with his children to share his story before they heard it from a stranger, and how his book became a legacy of honesty and healing. (6:04)
• The Complicated Love for the Parents Who Hurt Him: Despite a violent, abusive past, Curtis opens up about finding his way back to love and forgiveness for both his parents. (11:43)
• The Stepmom Who Became Everything: Curtis reflects on the strength of Jan, the 15-year-old girl who raised him as her own—and why he still calls her his real mother. (13:11)
• Why He’ll Never Reconnect With His Birth Mother: In an emotional moment, Curtis explains why he’s at peace with keeping distance from the woman who gave birth to him but never raised him. (25:56)
• Losing His Dream Restaurant—and Starting Over: Curtis recounts the heartbreak of losing Grace, the award-winning restaurant he helped build, and how that painful experience led to something even greater. (36:52)
• Designing a World-Class Dining Experience—Down to the Menu Paper: From velvet tables to “milk paper” menus, Curtis explains why every detail at Ever is part of the guest’s emotional journey. (44:37)
• Vegetables Over Meat—Every Time: A lifelong vegetable lover (with one major exception), Curtis shares why his dishes often revolve around produce, and how carrots beat steak any day. (41:28)
• How Dharma, Metal, and Milk Paper All Show Up in His Work: From Hindu philosophy to Black Sabbath concerts to textured menus, Curtis reveals the unexpected influences that keep him creatively grounded. (48:09)

Connect with Chef Curtis Duffy:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Bluesky
• X
• Chef Curtis Duffy- Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef
• Ever Restaurant

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.